Celebrations start an hour before verdict, turn sour as court rejects bail for Jaya
Chennai: Although celebrations began an hour before the verdict on Jayalalithaa’s bail plea was given, they did not last long.
Seconds after rumours spread that the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu was granted conditional bail, news came in that the High Court had in fact denied her bail.
According to reports, Ram Jethmalani, counsel for Jayalalithaa argued that she should be given bail on health grounds.
As the hearing resumed at 2:30 in the afternoon, prosecution said that they do not have any objection to a conditional bail for the AIADMK supreme.
However, a single bench judge of the Karnataka High Court, comprising of Justice A V Chandrashekhra, said that there is "no ground for bail to Jayalalithaa" and hence decided to reject her bail application. The court also said that corruption is a humna rights abuse.
As news broke that Jayalalithaa would coninue to be in jail, angry party workers sat on the road leading to Poes Garden, Jayalalithaa's residence, and raised slogans, demanding her release.
In Ooty, about 100 AIADMK supporters blocked a Mysore-bound Karnataka government owned transport corporation bus at the bus stand on hearing about the rejection of the bail. Police personnel rushed to the spot, dispersed them and managed to take out the bus to safety, police said.
AIADMK workers also stopped several vehicles bearing Karnataka registration numbers at tourist spots such as Botanical Gardens and Boat house and protested, police said.
A large number of police personnel have been deployed across the town, they said.
According to the rules, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu must appoint a special prosecutor in the disproportionate assets case, in this case, O Panneerselvam.
The Defence lawyers told the media after hearing that they would approach the Supreme Court once they receive a copy of the High Court judgement.
J Jayalalithaa, 66, has been in jail since nine days now.
She, along with her three aides, was arrested on September 27 on corruption charges after being sentenced to four years in prison and has been penalized Rs. 100 crore.
