Jayalalithaa moves SC for bail

Former Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa, lodged in a Bangalore jail following her conviction for corruption, Thursday moved the Supreme Court seeking bail on several grounds including her poor health.

Jayalalithaa was Tuesday refused bail by the Karnataka High Court, which held that there were no grounds for grant of bail to the AIADMK leader.

Bail was also denied to the actor-turned-politician's former close associate Sasikala Natrajan, estranged former foster son V.K. Sudhakaran and former aide J. Ilavarasi.

On Thursday, Jayalalithaa alone moved the apex court for bail. The other three would file their appeals in a day or two.

Jayalalithaa has invoked section 389 of the Code of Criminal Procedure seeking the suspension of her sentence and grant of bail till the pendency of her appeal against the trial court order convicting her and sentencing her to four years in jail.

The trial court also fined her Rs.100 crore.

On Tuesday, the high court relied on apex court orders to rule that the putting the sentence on hold after an appeal is filed against the trial court order was not automatic.

It had said the plea for bail after the conviction was different from a plea for bail while the trial was on.

It also cited the apex court ruling that "corruption amounts to violation of human rights and leads to economic imbalances".

In the 18-year-old case, the trial court in Bangalore Sep 27 convicted Jayalalithaa for possessing assets disproportionate to her known sources of income and sentenced her to a four jail term and Rs. 100 crore fine. The case against Jayalalithaa and three others related to period from 1991 to 1996 involving Rs.66.65 crores when she became chief minister for the first time.