Friday, March 3 2006 12:59 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The Supreme Court today(Mar 3,2006) directed a Tamil Nadu court hearing the non-filing of income tax returns case against Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa to consider the framing of charges within two months.

A Bench headed by Justice B N Aggarwal asked the trial court that it will go into the issue of framing of charges only after hearing a petition filed by Jayalaithaa and others seeking discharge in the case.

The court clarified that the two months period for trial court will commence from the date it receives the order of the apex court.

The court said that if the trial court comes to the view that it is a fit case for framing of charges than it will fix the date for commencement of trial on day-to-day basis, unless and until its proceedings are stayed by any court.

A case was registered against Jayalaithaa and close acquaintance Sasikala Natrajan for non filing of IT returns for the year 1993-94.

The prosecution has alleged that they were adopting delaying tactics by not appearing in the court in the matter.