TN Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa and four others accused in the two cases of disproportionate assets secured a major relief on Monday when the special court ordered that the two cases be clubbed for joint trial. The London Hotels case will be merged with the Rs 66.65-crore disproportionate assets case. Judge A.S. Pachchapure ordered that T.T.V. Dinakaran, an accused in the Hotels case, be arrayed as accused no.5 in the main case. The judge observed that there has to be one trial as the amassing of wealth is for the same period.‘‘The facts alleged in the chargesheet of the London Hotels case based on evidence gathered and materials collected during further investigation of the main case arise in the course of the same transaction. A single joint trial has to be held by merging the chargesheet in the second case in the records of the main case,’’ the judge ruled.
