NO RELIEF FOR JAYA AS KARNATAKA COURT REJECTS BAIL

NEW DELHI: The Karnataka High Court has rejected AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa’s bail plea despite the prosecution stating that it had no objection to conditional bail for the former Tamil Nadu chief minister.

Jayalalithaa, 66, was arrested for corruption after being convinced by the Bangalore courtin a disproportionate assets case filed against her. Her trial for the case had been moved to Karnataka from Tamil Nadu in 2001 to prevent political interference.

Well known lawyer Ram Jethmalani who is representing her in the case told reporters that Judge Michael D’Cunha who had convicted her initially, sometimes behaved like a prosecution witness.

Initially when the prosecution raised no objections to a conditional bail for the AIADMK leader her supporters distributed sweets. However the court that re-convened again at 2.30pm cancelled the bail with the relief turning into protests in Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu.

Significantly in rejecting the bail application the High Court observed that the Supreme Court had described corruption as the violation of human rights. Jayalalithaa had been convicted for four years in the disproportionate assets case that has been in the courts now for 18 years. Her close aide Sasikala and relatives V.N.Sudhakaran and Elavarasi were also convicted in the case.

Tight security was imposed in Karnataka while the bail application was being heard by the courts. Interestingly just before the court decision a poster threatening Kannadigas in Tamil Nadu came up if Jayalalithaa was not released from jail. “"Warning... immediately release people's chief minister Amma... otherwise we will hold Kannadigas living in Tamil Nadu as hostages," the huge poster put up in certain locations in south Chennai said. The AIADMK distanced itself from the poster saying that it had nothing to do with it, and would take action against the person or persons found responsible.

The former chief minister’s arrest has evoked high passions in Tamil Nadu with people protesting, fasting, and committing suicide. Her supporters break into tears at the drop of a hat, with the sweets distributed a little prematurely following the prosecutors offer not to oppose the conditional bail, being replaced by wails and tears as news of the court rejection of the bail plea came in. Schools and colleges remained closed in the state even as private bus drivers threatened to stop their trucks at the Bangalore border.

Jayalalithaa will go in appeal of course, but her jail term is now clearly extended.