Chennai: Former Tamil Nadu chief minister and AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa reached Chennai on Saturday (October 18) evening to a huge welcome from party workers. Thousands of AIADMK workers thronged the airport to receive their leader.
Earlier, Jayalalithaa was released from Bangalore jail after 21 days, a day after Supreme Court granted her bail in an 18-year-old disproportionate assets case. Jayalalithaa stepped out of Parappana Agrahara Central Prison in Bangalore shortly after special court judge John Michael D' Cunha issued the release order.
Tamil Nadu chief minister O Pannerselvam, several ministers, MPs and legislators were in attendance to receive her near the prison after which she headed to HAL airport to fly back to Chennai by a special flight. The special court had issued the order for release of Jayalalithaa from jail in accordance with the Supreme Court order granting her bail in the disproportionate assets case.
The release order by special judge John Michael D'Cunha came after a bond for Rs 20 million was furnished and surety of assets offered. Copy of the Supreme Court order was also produced before the court by Jayalalithaa's lawyers. Jayalalithaa's close aide Sasikala and her relatives Sudhakaran and Elavarasi also fufilled similar conditions.
The special court had sentenced them to four years in jail in the Rs 666.5 million disproportionate assets case on September 27. The Supreme Court made it clear that Jayalalithaa and three others will complete their appeal with all relevant documents before the high court in a matter of two months and thereafter, it will ask the high court to expedite and complete the hearing on the appeal within three months.
The court told senior counsel Fali S Nariman, appearing for Jayalalithaa, that it will not grant a day more to his client if they don't complete the paperwork of their appeal before the high court with all the documents within a span of two months.
