DA case: Jayalalithaa appeals to party cadres not to take extreme measures

Chennai: AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa on Saturday expressed concern over the 'suicide' of a party functionary who was upset over the "obstacle" faced by her in view of the disproportionate assets case, and appealed to her supporters not to resort to such extreme measures.

"Due to the love he had for me and unable to stand the obstacle faced by me (conviction in disproportionate assets case), Periyakulam AIADMK Youth body head P Rajayogiyam consumed poison and died at a hospital," she said.

"It is completely unacceptable to me (to see) my party siblings resort to such activities," she said in a statement.

Rajayogiyam, also Manager of a local agricultural cooperative bank, died at a hospital after undergoing treatment for allegedly consuming poison and his wife had also resorted to similar step over her husband's death.

Expressing shock over it, Jayalalithaa said: "Such acts create profound grief. I kindly request that nobody should resort to such measures."

She announced Rs three lakh from party funds as relief to the family of Rajayogiyam and Rs 50,000 towards the medical expenses of his wife. The party will also bear the educational expenses of the couple's nine-year-old daughter.

The AIADMK supremo is waging a legal battle against her conviction in the Rs 66.66 crore disproportionatee assets case by a special court in Bengaluru in September 2014, with the Karnataka High Court reserving its orders on her appeal challenging the conviction and four year imprisonment awarded to her.