Jayalalithaa walks out of Bangalore jail

AIADMK cadres give her a grand welcome; form 24-km human chain from Chennai airport to her residence

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Former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa was released from Bangalore Central Jail at Parappana Agrahara on Saturday. She came out after 21 days of imprisonment following her conviction in the Rs 66-crore disproportionate assets case by the special court in Bangalore on September 27.

On Friday, the Supreme Court had granted interim bail to the 66-year-old politician till December 18. Three of her supporters — N Sasikala, V N Sudhakaran and J Elavarasi — were also given bail.

Special court judge John Michael D’Cunha issued the release order after Jayalalithaa’s counsel furnished a bond of Rs 2 crore and two sureties of properties valued at Rs 5 crore and Rs 1 crore were submitted by AIADMK cadres J Bharat and Gunajyothi, a senior police officer said.

The release order was issued after Jayalalithaa’s counsel submitted to the court a certified copy of the apex court order, suspending her four-year jail term and granting her an interim bail till December 18. A special messenger carried orders to the jail to facilitate her early release.

Jayalalithaa stepped out of the jail at 3.19 pm. She left the prison complex smiling and with folded hands, accompanied by Sasikala and Elavarasi, who were also sent to jail along with her. Jayalalithaa showed the victory sign, which is also the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK)’s symbol, and waved hands to the party followers who were shouting slogans welcoming their leader.

Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam, a few Cabinet ministers, and some 50 legislators from Tamil Nadu greeted her as she came out of the jail. From the prison, Jayalalithaa drove down about 13 km to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)’s old airport in Bangalore, where she reached by around 4 pm. From the HAL airport, she took a private flight to Chennai. Around 5 pm, she came out of the Chennai Airport.

Thousands of supporters lined up on both sides of the airport road and cheered as the convoy passed. Many AIADMK cadres danced, clapped and waived party flags, while some burst firecrackers and raised slogans en route.

A senior police officer with the Karnataka Prisons Department said Jayalalithaa was in good health and left the jail premises after completing all formalities.

In Chennai, Jayalalithaa’s hoardings were erected along the road from the airport to her home at Poes Garden. AIADMK cadres created a human chain along the 24-km stretch from the Chennai airport to Poes Garden.

The interim bail, till the next hearing on December 18, was granted to Jayalalithaa on health grounds.

“After hearing Fali S Nariman, K T S Tulsi, senior counsel for the petitioners and Subramanian Swami, party-in-person and also the complainant, for the present, we suspend the sentence and direct that the petitioners — Jayalalithaa, N Sasikala, V N Sudhakaran and J Elavarasi - be released on bail on executing a bond with two solvent sureties by each of them to the satisfaction of the 36th Additional City Civil & Sessions Judge (Special Court for Trial of Criminal Cases against Jayalalithaa and others) at Bangalore. Call these matters on December 18,” said the Supreme Court order.