AIADMK workers celebrate grant of interim bail to Jayalalithaa

Celebrations broke out outside the AIADMK office in Chennai on Friday as the Supreme Court granted interim bail to former Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa on medical grounds in the disproportionate assets case.

The AIADMK supporters danced, distributed sweets and burst crackers as soon as they heard the news of AIADMK chief being granted interim bail by the apex court.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) avoided commenting on the apex court's decision and hoped that there is calm and peace in Tamil Nadu.

"It is a legal process and one cannot comment on the merits and demerits of it. I hope that there is calm and peace in the state and nothing untoward happens," BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli told ANI in New Delhi.

Senior counsel Ram Jethmalani, who had argued in the Karnataka High Court for grant of bail to Jayalalithaa, said it is very good that the AIADMK chief has been granted bail as she deserved it.

In a major relief to Jayalalithaa, the Supreme Court today granted her interim bail in a disproportionate assets case in which she was sentenced to four-year jail term.

An apex court bench headed by Chief Justice HL Dattu also granted bail to Jayalalithaa's close aide Sasikala and her relatives VN Sudhakaran and Ilavarasi.

Jayalalithaa was convicted by the Bangalore Special Court on September 27. After her conviction, O. Panneerselvam took oath as the Chief Minister.