Jayalalithaa's disproportionate assets case: Bail today, verdict in 5 months
New Delhi/Bengaluru: The Supreme Court granted AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa bail on Friday, 21 days after she was convicted and jailed in a disproportionate assets case, and stayed the four-year sentence awarded to her.
The top court issued a stern warning against seeking any adjournments during her appeal in the Karnataka High Court. The former Tamil Nadu chief minister will spend Friday night in Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, where she has been lodged since September 27, as the formalities of her bail proceedings will be completed only by Saturday morning.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India H.L. Dattu attached a few conditions to the interim bail granted to the AIADMK chief, like filing of the paper book of her appeal in the high court within two months and directing her to appeal to her cadre not to create any law and order problem in the state.
The bench, which was initially reluctant to grant bail to Jayalalithaa on the grounds that she had delayed proceedings in the trial court by seeking repeated adjournments, agreed to grant bail after her counsel, Mr Fali S. Nariman, gave an assurance that he was willing to give a statement that his client would seek no adjournment during the appeal in the high court.
Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's supporters celebrate after she was granted bail by the Supreme Court, outside Parappana Agrahara, in Bengaluru on Friday —DC
It would be an exuberant Diwali this year, especially for the supporters of former chief minister of Tamil Nadu J. Jayalalithaa as she is all set to walk out of jail on Saturday after the Supreme Court granted her bail in the conviction of Rs 66-crore disproportionate assets case on Friday.
“It will be a dazzling Diwali this year for us as we knew that our ‘Amma’ will be out of jail soon. Even though the Karnataka High Court rejected our leader’s bail petition, we have got what we wanted from the Supreme Court,” said Ravichandran, an All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) party worker from Madurai, who has been camping in Bengaluru along with 10 other ‘Amma’ supporters since she was locked up in Parappana Agrahara jail.
Hundreds of supporters were seen celebrating and shouting slogans on the road leading to the Central prison. They shouted slogans denouncing Subramanian Swamy and M. Karunanidhi.
After the news broke out of Jayalalithaa being granted bail, a number of supporters, including some ministers, started distributing sweets. They were even seen offering sweets and fruits to police personnel, who were deployed for security.
Many of them were also seen bursting crackers. The police soon enforced Section 144 and started driving away the revellers.
Tamil Nadu Ministers Natham Vishwanathan (Power), Edapady Palaniswamy (Highways), R. Vaidhyalingam (Housing), Palaniyappan (Higher Education), Vijay Bhaskhar (Health), R.B. Udhay Kumar (Revenue), M.C. Sampath (Commercial Tax) and Jayabal (Fisheries) had come to Parappana Agrahara to receive ‘Amma’ out of the jail.
These ministers along with 50 MLAs and 30 MPs will be camping in the city tonight to welcome Jayalalithaa’s jail release on Saturday. Many VIPs from Tamil Nadu are reportedly on the way to Bengaluru. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Pannerselvam is expected to reach here before Jaya’s release.
