New Delhi: The Supreme Court today (November 24) upheld the Madras High Court order acquitting Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in the Tansi land scam case.

A Bench comprising Justice S Rajendra Babu and Justice P V Reddi said although there is a strong suspicion of involvement of Jayalalithaa in sale of Tansi land belonging to the Government to Jaya publications, there is no legal evidence to prove her guilt.

Stating that high probity in public office was essential for good governance, Justice Babu, writing the judgement for the Bench said, "she must atone her conscience in the whole Controversy".

The Bench gave the order while dismissing two petitions, one by R Sai Bharathi and one by Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy, which had challenged the Madras High Court acquitting her in two Tansi cases.

A Chennai court had convicted Jayalalithaa in both the cases and sentenced her to three-year imprisonment in one case and two-year imprisonment in the other.

The Bench said after discussing the trial court and the High Court judgements "we found no ground to interfere in the High Court order as none of the offences alleged have been established by cogent evidence."

PTI