A Jayalalithaa supporter is offered water to drink after she collapsed during a demonstration against the court verdict, in Chennai yesterday.
Agencies/Bangalore
Former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa launched a flurry of appeals yesterday against a four-year jail sentence, in a long-running corruption case against the highly popular but controversial politician.
Jayalalithaa was convicted and jailed on Saturday in the corruption case that started 18 years ago.
Her lawyer B Kumar filed a set of four applications with the Karnataka High Court registrar for an early hearing, seeking suspension of the sentence, bail, review of the hefty Rs1bn fine and stay on conviction, a leader of her All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam said.
As the high court is on a week-long holiday until October 6, the petitions will be put up before a vacation bench, which will hear only urgent or special cases today.
“If the petition for suspending the sentence is allowed, we hope the bail application will also be considered as we want our party supremo out of jail at the earliest,” the leader said on the condition of anonymity.
One interim petition seeks stay on confiscation of properties seized in 1997 from Jayalalithaa’s residence in Chennai by the Enforcement Directorate and now in the custody of the trial court here.
The properties include about 800kg of silver, 28kg of gold ornaments, 750 pairs of shoes, 10,500 saris, 91 watches and other valuables.
Along with Jayalalithaa, three others were also sentenced to four years in jail. The three were fined Rs10mn each.
They are Sasikala Natarajan, V N Sudhakaran and J Illavarasi.
Prosecutors said Jayalalithaa’s assets, which reportedly included two 1,000-acre estates, were vastly disproportionate to her earnings during her first term as chief minister, which ran from 1991 to 1996.
Politicians are rarely convicted of corruption in India despite seething public anger over endemic graft that permeates every level of life in the country.
Commentators have applauded the ruling, but her supporters have staged street protests in Tamil Nadu as well as in Bangalore where the verdict was handed down.
The AIADMK emerged as the third biggest force in the parliament after elections in May.
The powerful regional leader won over voters after handing out freebies including electric blenders, goats and small amounts of gold.
The AIADMK installed her loyal finance minister O Panneerselvam, 63, as her replacement as Tamil Nadu chief minister, who was sworn in yesterday.
Several AIADMK legislators were also sworn in as ministers.
Panneerselvam choked and looked crestfallen as he read the oath of office and secrecy. He wiped away his tears.
Some legislators broke down. They included R Vaithilingam, B Valarmathi and P Thangamani.
The atmosphere at the oath taking ceremony was sombre. There were no celebratory noises at the event.
AIADMK sources said Jayalalithaa is still making major decisions from jail.
Meanwhile, six people killed themselves and 10 died of cardiac arrest in Tamil Nadu after Jayalalithaa was convicted.
Police said three people hanged themselves, one supporter set himself on fire, another drank poison and one jumped in front of a bus, according to the Times of India newspaper.
Others suffered heart attacks, allegedly due to shock over the case, it said.
lMembers of the Tamil Film Exhibitors Association will fast today in solidarity with Jayalalitha.
All shows in all theatres across the state will be cancelled today.
“We plan to fast to extend our support to Amma. We can’t comment on the verdict. But since she’s done so much for film industry, this is the least we could do for her,” an association member said.
Chandy could face Jayalalilthaa fate: VS
Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy will go the same way as J Jayalalithaa if the numerous cases in which he allegedly has a role are properly probed, opposition leader V S Achuthanandan said yesterday. “Palm oil imports, titanium factory and solar scam are cases in which Chandy is alleged to have a role. If a proper investigation by an agency like the CBI is held, Chandy is bound to be in trouble... just as Jayalalithaa was caught after 18 years, one day the law will catch up with him,” Achuthanandan said. However Chandy said it was rather surprising that when Achuthanandan was the chief minister during 2006-11, he did nothing in two cases when he could have gone ahead with any probe. “With regard to the solar scam, we have launched a judicial probe and not only he, but no one else from the Left opposition has appeared before the judicial commission to give any statement.”
