Justice S M Sidicck dismissed a criminal revision petition by V Bhaskaran, Sasikala's nephew and a co-accused in the case. He dismissed the stay order of October 20, 1997. Bhaskaran, who was managing director of JJ TV during the alleged offence, wanted the court to direct the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to produce statements recorded from him and Sasikala after October 1996. He had sought postponement of the trial till this was complied with.

The case pertains to purchase of transponders from Rimsat in the US for 500,000 US dollars and uplinking facilities from Subic Bay of Philippines for 180,000 US dollars by JJ TV through a Kuala Lumpur-based intermediary. The transaction did not have the RBI'sclearance and violated the FERA, according to the ED.

Bhaskaran was arrested on Sept 21, 1995, and was released on bail later. Subsequently, Sasikala was arrested on June 20, 1996, on various FERA charges. Later, both of them were detained under Cofeposa, but the detention was revoked on the Advisory Board's recommendation.

Justice Sidickk confirmed the October 14 order of an Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (Economic offences) here, dismissing Bhaskaran's plea to direct the ED to file a supplementary charge-sheet to pursue further probe into the case. The judge held that no direction could be issued by the court to the ED merely on presumption, inference and surmise that the ED had probed further into the case.

He observed that the ED had made it clear that it had not obtained any letter rogatory (LR) in the case and that the petition was misconceived and liable to be dismissed. The judge stated that there was no factual basis to the contention that an LR was issued.