India's top court verdict to end Sasikala's political career

New Delhi - Sasikala was the personal assistant to Jayaram Jayalalithaa, a former movie star who became Tamil Nadu's chief minister.

India's top court on Tuesday upheld the corruption conviction of the head of the ruling party in Tamil Nadu state, ending her chances of becoming the southern state's next chief minister.
The Supreme Court set aside a lower court order that had cleared Sasikala Natarajan of corruption charges. India's politics are often dominated by outsized personalities and their friends and relatives, creating an environment where corruption is endemic.
Sasikala was the personal assistant to Jayaram Jayalalithaa, a former movie star who became Tamil Nadu's chief minister.
The corruption case, filed in 1996, accused Jayalalithaa, Sasikala and two of Sasikala's kin of possessing assets disproportionate to their known sources of income.
The 4-year conviction means Sasikala is barred from contesting an election for six years after completing her jail sentence, thus removing her from the political scene for the next 10 years.

• India