CHENNAI: In a new twist to the raging debate over the authenticity of former chief minister Jayalalithaa's thumb impression found in her party candidates' nomination papers filed during her hospitalisation, Madras high court has decided to compare it with the leader's fingerprints available with Parappana Agrahara jail in Bengaluru. It also asked the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to furnish Jayalalithaa 's thumb impression details to the court.The superintendent of central prison at Parappana Agrahara in Bengaluru and regional officer of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which handles Aadhaar, should give the fingerprints detail to court by December 8, said Justice P Velmurugan.Jayalalithaa was lodged in the jail after her conviction in the Rs 65.66 crore disproportionate assets case in 2014. Though the Karnataka high court acquitted her and three of her associates of all charges, the Supreme Court found all of them guilty. However, since Jayalalithaa had died by then, the apex court awarded four years each to the remaining three accused - - VK Sasikala, K Iavarasi and VN Sudhagaran.Dr Saravanan, who lost to the AIADMK candidate on Thirupparankundram byelection last year, questioned the validity of the election saying the AIADMK candidate's nomination was illegal, since Jayalalithaa was too ill to sign and test her party leader used a fake signature on nominations. The election commission too had failed to scrutinise it and take action, he said.

Source: Times of India November 24, 2017 13:20 UTC