Jayalalithaa acquitted, set to return as CM

AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa was today acquitted by the Karnataka High Court in the 19-year-old disproportionate assets case, a verdict that is sure to put her back in the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's seat.
"All the appeals have been upheld and the convicts have been acquitted," Justice C R Kumaraswamy said as he read out the operative part of the judgement at 11 AM sharp, a minute after entering the jam-packed court and the whole proceedings wrapped up in about four minutes.
Setting aside the trial court verdict, the single bench judge also exonerated AIADMK chief's close aide Sasikala Natarajan and the latter's relatives J Elavarasi and V N Sudhakaran, disowned foster son of Jayalalithaa, giving relief from the conviction of four years for all.

As the judge was still in his seat completing formalities after reading out the operative portions, AIADMK supporting advocates present in large numbers in the court hall congratulated each other and also gestured to the judge raising their hands in gratitude.
As the judge left the court room, the advocates lifted one of their senior colleagues on their shoulders raising slogans praising Jayalalithaa, to which few senior lawyers and police officials objected asking them to respect the decorum of the court.
Welcoming the verdict, Jayalalithaa said, "It has confirmed that I have done no wrong. The case was foisted by political enemies.

The judgement came on appeals filed by Jayalalithaa and three others against the verdict of Special Court Judge John Michael D'Cunha who had on September 27 last held her and three others guilty of corruption. He had awarded four years jail term, due to which the AIADMK supremo attracted disqualification as an MLA.

The lower court judgement automatically disqualified Jayalalithaa as an MLA and unseated her from the chief minister's post. Now with the High Court's clean chit, she is expected to assume reins of office at Fort St George, with the judgement coming as a significant political turnaround just one

year ahead of Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu.
EC sources said Jayalalithaa will have to contest the election again to become a member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.
Speaking to reporters outside the court, B Kumar, senior counsel for Jayalalithaa said the prosecution case made by the "then DMK government now stands dismissed"
"The consequence of this pronouncement is that she is entitled to resume the office of Chief Minister," a beaming Kumar said.