SC grants bail to Jayalalithaa

The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday granted bail to former Tamil Nadu chief minister and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) chief J Jayalalithaa in a disproportionate assets case in which she was sentenced to a four-year jail term by a court in Karnataka. The apex court also directed the hastening of her appeal against conviction.

Jayalalithaa is expected to step out of the Bangalore prison on Saturday, after completion of formalities. "Jayalalithaa will be released... but tomorrow (Saturday) because we have yet to complete the formalities for her release from prison," Jayalalithaa's senior counsel B Kumar told PTI.

An SC Bench directed Jayalalithaa to file the paperbook - 35,000 documents - of her appeal in the Karnataka high court within two months. "If not, we won't give you even a single day more," the Bench said.

It refused to dispose of the bail plea and posted the case for hearing on December 18, to ensure Jayalalithaa complies with its order. The Bench also said it would ask the high court to dispose of her appeal within three months.

The Bench, presided over by Chief Justice H L Dattu, did not wait to get the reply of the prosecution team, nor was the Karnataka or Tamil Nadu government heard. Only Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy mildly opposed the bail. She had pleaded that she was a senior citizen of 66 years and her health was not alright.

Jayalalithaa's counsel, Fali Nariman, offered that she could be lodged in a house and strict conditions could be imposed on her. However, the Bench gave her bail with usual conditions like bonds and sureties.