Supreme Court grants bail to DA case convict Jayalalithaa, supporters hail decision

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Oct 17, 2014:  The Supreme Court has granted bail to former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa’s. This was the last chance for Jayalalithaa to get a bail before Diwali as the apex court will go on leave for a week after Friday.

Jayalalithaa had moved the Supreme Court seeking bail after the Karnataka High Court had rejected her bail plea following her conviction in the disproportionate assets case.

The AIADMK chief, who has been behind the bars since September 27, has challenged the High Court order which had refused her bail. Jayalalithaa had pleaded that she is also suffering from various ailments as grounds for her immediate relief.

A trial court in Bangalore Sep 27 convicted Jayalalithaa in the 18-year-old case for possessing assets disproportionate to her known sources of income.

In her petitions, Jayalalithaa has maintained that the charge of amassing wealth against her during 1991-96, when she was chief minister for the first time, was false and that she had acquired property through legal means.

Special Court Judge John Michael D’ Cunha had, in his verdict, held Jayalalithaa and three others guilty of corruption that unseated her as CM. He had slapped a fine of Rs 100 crore on Jayalalithaa and Rs 10 crore each on the three other accused.

The case related to period from 1991 to 1996 involving Rs 66.65 crore when she became chief minister for the first time.