Jayalalithaa sends legal notice to three media outlets

Former Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa has sent legal notices to three media outlets for carrying 'frivolous and defamatory' reports, allegedly linking her to Hasan Ali Khan, the Pune-based businessman accused of evading millions of rupees in taxes.

The papers include Mumbai-based Mid-Day and Murasoli, the mouthpiece of her bitter rival, the DMK, and Kalaignar TV, owned by the wife and daughter of DMK chief, and Tamil Nadu chief minister, M. Karunanidhi.

According to P H Manoj Pandian, Jayalalithaa's lawyer, Mid-Day first carried a report, quoting an unnamed investigating official, who linked ''a huge cache of money'' in Hasan Ali's possesion to ''a woman politician, who was also a chief minister of a state from south India.'' Pandian described this as ''mischievous, scurrilous, malicious and insinuating journalism at its very worst.''

The report was picked up by Murasoli and Kalaginar TV, who linked Jayalalithaa's name to the unnamed woman politician. The notice warns that legal action would be initiated against the three media outlets if they failed to respond; he also demanded unconditional apologies from them.

Admitting that Tamil Nadu had seen another woman chief minister – the late Janaki Ramachandran – Pandian said Mid-Day should have clarified on that point. He asserted that Jayalalithaa had nothing to do with Hasan Ali; in fact, she had earlier demanded action against people who had stashed black money abroad.

The wealthy, powerful and influential Pune-based businessman is at the centre of a major money-laundering racket.