Jayalalithaa to Stay in Jail for now
CHENNAI: Former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa will stay in jail for now. The Karnataka High Court today adjourned a hearing on her bail plea, which will now be taken up only on Monday. Ms Jayalalithaa has been in a Bangalore prison since Saturday, when a trial court found her guilty of corruption.
Actors, directors and others from the film industry in Tamil Nadu are on a hunger strike in Chennai to protest against Ms Jayalalithaa’s arrest; popular actor Srikanth said they were demonstrating “support and solidarity” for Ms Jayalalithaa, who is a former actress. Cinema theaters in Chennai will remain shut today till 6 pm.Ms Jayalalithaa has dismissed the allegations against her as politically motivated and filed a criminal revision petition challenging her conviction in the High Court yesterday.
Noted lawyer Ram Jethmalani will represent her.She has sought immediate bail also on grounds of ill-health. In jail, she has not met visitors. The AIADMK leader is diabetic. Ms Jayalalithaa was in the middle of her third term as chief minister when she was found guilty of misusing her office during her first stint from 1991 to 1996 to accumulate vast wealth that could not be accounted for by her declared sources of income.
In her petition, Ms Jayalalithaa has said that she acquired her property and other assets through legal means.Her conviction meant automatic disqualification as a legislator and she had to step down as chief minister.
In Chennai, her loyal aide O Panneerselvam, 63, took over as chief minister of Tamil Nadu on Monday, breaking down as he took oath. Many of the 32 ministers in the government also wept.Ms Jayalalithaa’s arrest has triggered large protests. Workers of her party, the AIADMK, have wept as they have protested outside the homes and offices of the rival DMK, which pursued the case against her that led to her imprisonment.
The case was filed 18 years ago. Ms Jayalalithaa is Prisoner No 7402 in Bangalore’s Central Prison – her trial was transferred there in 2003 to ensure that her party’s influence in her home state would not influence the case.Mr Panneerselvam has served as a replacement for his boss earlier as well.
He took over as Chief Minister for her in 2001 when she had to step down for six months following her conviction in the TANSI land deal case.Tamil Nadu votes for its next government in 2016. Unless Ms Jayalalithaa’s conviction is overturned by a higher court, she will not be able to contest the state election. Her party, the AIADMK, swept Tamil Nadu in the national election in May, and is now the third largest in Parliament.
Noted lawyer Ram Jethmalani will represent her.She has sought immediate bail also on grounds of ill-health. In jail, she has not met visitors. The AIADMK leader is diabetic. Ms Jayalalithaa was in the middle of her third term as chief minister when she was found guilty of misusing her office during her first stint from 1991 to 1996 to accumulate vast wealth that could not be accounted for by her declared sources of income.
In her petition, Ms Jayalalithaa has said that she acquired her property and other assets through legal means.Her conviction meant automatic disqualification as a legislator and she had to step down as chief minister.
In Chennai, her loyal aide O Panneerselvam, 63, took over as chief minister of Tamil Nadu on Monday, breaking down as he took oath. Many of the 32 ministers in the government also wept.Ms Jayalalithaa’s arrest has triggered large protests. Workers of her party, the AIADMK, have wept as they have protested outside the homes and offices of the rival DMK, which pursued the case against her that led to her imprisonment.
The case was filed 18 years ago. Ms Jayalalithaa is Prisoner No 7402 in Bangalore’s Central Prison – her trial was transferred there in 2003 to ensure that her party’s influence in her home state would not influence the case.Mr Panneerselvam has served as a replacement for his boss earlier as well.
He took over as Chief Minister for her in 2001 when she had to step down for six months following her conviction in the TANSI land deal case.Tamil Nadu votes for its next government in 2016. Unless Ms Jayalalithaa’s conviction is overturned by a higher court, she will not be able to contest the state election. Her party, the AIADMK, swept Tamil Nadu in the national election in May, and is now the third largest in Parliament.
