Chennai: Claiming that the SPIC disinvestment case against her was "politically motivated", Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa today (Dec 18, 2003) charged Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy, who had moved the High Court against her, with "being in the habit of giving false evidence" against her.

Deposing before Special Judge R Rajamanickam in the Rs 28.29 crore SPIC disinvestment case, while answering questions under Sec 313 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), she said, "He is politically opposed to me. He is always ready to utter falsehood against me. I refute his evidence."

Referring to the allegation that the State had suffered a loss on account of the Government's decision to renounce its rights in the zero conversion bond offered by Southern Petrochemical Industries Corporation (SPIC), Jayalalithaa said on the other hand, the Government had benefitted to the tune of Rs 12.37 crore.

PTI