Karnataka High Court begins hearing Jayalalithaa's bail plea

A regular bench of Karnataka High Court here Tuesday began hearing on the criminal revision petition of jailed former Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa amid tight security.

After admitting the revision petition, Justice A.V. Chandrashekara heard defence counsel and noted jurist Ram Jethmalani seeking suspension of the sentence, and bail for 66-year-old Jayalalithaa.

A special court here Sep 27 convicted Jayalalithaa in the Rs.66-crore disproportionate assets' case and sentenced her to four years' simple imprisonment, with a fine of Rs.100 crore under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

"Jethmalani sought immediate bail for Jayalalithaa on health grounds, as she has diabetes, low blood pressure and acute back pain and is aged," one of her defence lawyers told IANS at the court.

In his 90-minute deposition, Jethmalani also assured the judge that his client (Jayalalithaa) would abide by any condition put forth for bail, as she was a law-abiding citizen and would not disappear or escape from the country.

Special public prosecutor G. Bhavani Singh, however, opposed the bail plea, asserting that Jayalalithaa may influence witness and tamper with evidence if set free, as she was powerful and supremo of the ruling party (AIADMK) in Tamil Nadu.

"As the convict is an influential person in Tamil Nadu, she may try to escape from conviction or abscond from the country," Singh told the court.

The court is also hearing bail petitions of Jayalalithaa's three associates -- Sasikala Natarajan, V.K. Sudhakaran and J. Ilavarasi -- who were also convicted and sentenced to four years' imprisonment in the corruption case, but with a fine of Rs.10 crore each.

The bail petitions were posted for hearing by regular bench Tuesday by a special bench of the high court Oct 1 due to week-long public holidays for the Dasara festival after the vacation bench Sep 30 adjourned these to Oct 6 before the state government declared holiday for Monday on account of Eid-ul-Zuha.

Meanwhile, police imposed ban order 1km around the high court in the city centre under section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) to prevent assembly of five or more persons, and maintain peace, as massive protests were witnessed Oct 1 at the court complex by hundreds of Jayalalithaa's supporters and AIADMK cadres.