New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India has agreed to hear former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's bail plea on October 17. The SC will also hear bail pleas of Jayalalithaa's co-convicts Shashikala and Sudhakaran.
Jayalalithaa was convicted and sentenced to 4 years imprisonment in the Rs 650 million disproportionate assets case. She has pleaded that she has been sentenced to only four years jail in the case and is also suffering from various ailments as grounds for her immediate relief. She said as chief minister she did not misuse her powers in this case. She also cited grounds of being senior citizen and woman for getting out of jail.
Transfer to TN jail in legal fix
Meanwhile, a day after the Karnataka High Court rejected her bail plea, the state government has expressed its "helplessness" in transferring her to a prison in her home state. The issue is taking a political twist with one section of the government adamant on shifting Jayalalithaa to Tamil Nadu while another section seems disinterested.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that his government could not take a decision on the issue as several decision-making bodies were involved in it. The Karnataka law and parliamentary minister T B Jayachandra said the government would explore the possibilities of transferring Jayalalithaa to Tamil Nadu only if her home state submitted a request.
"If the IG (Prisons) of Tamil Nadu sends an official request to his Karnataka counterpart, we will examine it after consulting the courts concerned," he said. He pointed out that the Karnataka government was not in a position to transfer Jayalalithaa to a prison in Tamil Nadu suo motu.
"We also have to look into the legal aspects of the issue. Let the IG (Prisons) of Tamil Nadu send the proposal first," he added.
