AIADMK activists break out into celebrations

SC suspends Jayalalithaa's sentence, grants interim bail; AIADMK activists break out into celebrations

NEW DELHI/CHENNAI: The Supreme Court on Friday suspended AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa's sentence for two months and granted her interim bail on the condition that she will make available all documents and translated copies available to the Karnataka HC for speedy adjudication of her appeal against conviction.

The apex court said that if the complete set of documents was not made available to the high court by December 18, then the AIADMK chief would go back to jail.

The top court also said AIADMK party members must immediately desist from personal criticism of the trial judge and stop indulging in violence.

A bench headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu stayed the sentence and warned Jayalalithaa against causing any delay by seeking adjournment in her appeal in Karnataka high court.

The bench directed Jayalalithaa to file paperbook of her appeal in the high court within two months.

"If paperbook is not filed within two months, then we won't give you even a single day more," the bench said.

It refused to dispose of the bail plea and posted the case for hearing on December 18 to ensure that Jayalalithaa complies with its order.

The bench also said that it would ask the high court to dispose of her appeal within three months.

In an hour-long hearing, initially the bench expressed reservation on granting bail to her, saying she had delayed the trial proceedings for years and if she is allowed to come out on bail then appeal would be decided in two decades.

Senior advocate Fali S Nariman, appearing for Jayalalithaa, assured the court that the matter would not be delayed, saying that he was willing to give the statement on affidavit that no adjournment would be taken by her in the high court.

"I undertake that no delay would be caused while appeal is heard by high court. It is not a game. It may have been a game before. You can record my statement," Nariman told the bench.

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, who had filed a complaint against Jayalalithaa after which probe was conducted against her, strongly opposed the bail plea of the AIADMK chief.

He contended that it is an exceptional case and bail be denied to her. He also raised questions on the law and order problem created in Tamil Nadu by her party workers.
The apex court also granted bail to Jayalalithaa's close aide Sasikala and her relatives V N Sudhakaran, disowned foster-son of the former chief minister, and Ilavarasi.

The SC asked Jayalalithaa, Sasikala and Sudhakaran to furnish two solvent sureties to the satisfaction of the trial judge before getting released on bail.

Jayalalithaa has been in prison since September 27

A bench headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu had on October 13 posted the case for hearing on October 17 after senior advocate Fali S Nariman pleaded to the court to "accommodate" the case in this week itself.

Jayalalithaa, who was denied bail by Karnataka high court following her conviction and four year sentence in a graft case, had moved the Supreme Court for bail on October 9

The AIADMK chief had challenged the high court order which had refused her bail. Jayalalithaa pleaded that she was sentenced to only four years jail in the case and was also suffering from various ailments as grounds for her immediate relief.

The former chief minister also cited grounds of being senior citizen and woman for getting out of jail.

The 66-year-old politician was denied bail by the high court on October 7 despite the special public prosecutor not objecting to grant of conditional bail to her.

The high court had also rejected the bail pleas by Jayalalithaa's close aide Sasikala and her relatives V N Sudhakaran, disowned foster-son of the former chief minister, and Ilavarasi, who have also been sent to four years in jail in the 18-year-old case.

The special court had held Jayalalithaa and three others guilty of corruption. The court had also slapped a fine of Rs 100 crore on the AIADMK chief and Rs 10 crore fine on each of the three other convicts.

AIADMK activists break out into celebrations

AIADMK supporters broke out into celebrations, bursting crackers and dancing on the roads here after the Supreme Court granted bail to party chief Jayalalithaa in the illegal assets case, paving way for her homecoming for the Diwali festival.

"It is Diwali day for us," a party cadre said outside the AIADMK headquarters here.

AIADMK cadres — men and women — assembled outside the party headquarters here danced in joy. They burst crackers and distributed sweets.

Similar scenes were witnessed in other parts of the state like Salem, Karur, Tuticorin.

Earlier, AIADMK workers welcomed the party's founding day in a subdued mood, with presidium chairman E Madhusudhanan doing the customary hoisting of the party flag and garlanding the statue of founder MG Ramachandran. He later released a souvenir to mark the occasion.

Party treasurer and chief minister O Panneerselvam and some of his cabinet colleagues were seen sporting a beard, apparently summing up the mood in the party prior to Jayalalithaa securing bail.

A section of party workers were seen wearing black shirts.

In many places across the state, AIADMK workers ushered in the day by garlanding statues of Ramachandran, a charismatic actor who split from the M Karunanidhi-led DMK to form AIADMK, and also hailed Jayalalithaa and had wished for her release.

Special prayers were held by the party faithful in places of religious worship seeking release of Jayalalithaa who was sentenced to four years in jail and slapped with a fine of Rs 100 crore by a Bangalore special court in the Rs 66.65 crore disproportionate assets case on September 27.