Special court issues order for release of Jayalalithaa, associates

The special court in Bangalore on Saturday issued the order for release of All India Anna Dravida Munetra Kazhagam supremo J Jayalalithaa from jail in Bangalore 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 two crore 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 former Tamil Nadu chief minister and the three others will be released in the afternoon after the special court's release order is furnished to officials of Parappana Agrahara Central Prison where Jayalalithaa and three others are lodged.

The special court had sentenced them to four years in jail in the Rs 66.65 crore disproportionate assets case on September 27. In a major relief, the Supreme Court had on Friday granted bail to Jayalalithaa and three others, who had earlier tried in vain to secure it in the Karnataka high court.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Pannerselvam, along with some ministers, members of Parliament and legislators, has reached the prison to receive Jayalalithaa, who would fly to Chennai by a special aircraft from HAL Airport.

Prohibitory orders have been clamped in one km radius of the prison complex, Bangalore Police Commissioner M N Reddi told mediapersons. "Taking into account sensitivity of the situation, we have made elaborate security arrangements," he said.

Tight security was thrown around the prison complex with entry point blocked at more than a km away. Police personnel have been deployed on the route to the HAL airport also.

Hundreds of policemen under the supervision of senior officials were deployed all along the route leading to the prison. At the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border point on Hosur also,
police and city armed reserve personnel kept a close vigil and regulated movement of vehicles from the neighbouring state into the city.

The jail is located about 20 km from the Hosur point. Groups of AIADMK supporters had gathered at some places chanting slogans hailing their leader.

Image: AIADMK supporters line up outside the Chennai airport. Photograph: ANI/Twitter