Jayalalitha on Bail: Amma has her men on their toes

Latest: Tamil Nadu Secretariat has been bustling with activities over the weekend. If monsoon repair works in the state have intensified overnight, then welfare schemes have got a definite facelift.

The momentum gathered pace after some ministers met with Jayalalitha at her residence. The local administration minister said, “Amma has said we must speed up flood relief work and ensure that public grievances are attended to… so monsoon repair works have been intensified.”

Yet another minister has ordered her staff to have free saris and dhotis ready for the upcoming ‘Pongal’ [harvest festival celebrated in the state] festival.

Similarly, animal husbandry minister has instructed officials to speed up the scheme for the distribution of free cows and goats, reported Deccan Chronicle.

Amma 'heads to' flea market

Authorities in Tamil Nadu are keen on taking Jayalalitha’s welfare scheme down to the grass root levels.

Corporation officials are scouting for land and buildings in Tamil Nadu to set up ‘Amma flea markets’ and air-conditioned ‘Amma theatres’, according to a ToI report.

Officials have already acquired 3.94 acres of land for the purpose in one locality, while they plan to have the same in five other locations in the state.

The theaters would offer tickets at less than Rs25, while flea markets will cater to more than 10,000 families in a locality.

Nokia dials in to 'Amma' mobile phones

Jayalalitha, the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu who is currently out on bail after she was sentenced to four years in jail last month for holding Rs530 million in unaccounted cash and property, boasts a plethora of products in her name.

From ‘Amma water’, ‘Amma salt’, ‘Amma cement’ to ‘Amma canteens’, ‘Amma movie theatre’ and not to mention the several welfare schemes that has all helped propel her brand on the political front.

Currently, even though she has been maintaining a low profile after her jail term, latest reports from the state suggest her ‘Amma brand’ is making headways.

After Nokia announced the suspension of production of mobile phones at its Sriperumbudur plant from November 1, the firm is now looking for Jayalalitha to bail them out.

Trade union members suggest a government takeover of the plant and in turn they will roll-out 'Amma' branded mobile phones, reports ToI.

Divine help

Former Chief Minister Jayalalitha, who is currently out on bail, once again appealed to her supporters on Saturday morning not to take extreme steps. She assured them that she will come out of “all challenges” with divine help, reported dnaindia.com

She made the statement while announcing a relief of Rs3lakh [Dh17,981] to the families of the deceased on behalf of her party.

The list of 26 persons was released by the AIADMK, including those who committed suicide as well as those who died of natural causes."I am confident that I will come out triumphant crossing all challenges" with divine help, she said in a statement.

Leaders prostrate; Amma drops window...

Jayalalitha, who is out on bail, is back at work. In her first communique, the former chief minister thanked her well-wishers, including Rajinikanth and Union Minister Menka Gandhi.

According to reports, she had also thanked officials for taking good care of her before walking out of jail premises. She bid them goodbye, hoping she would never come back, reported Deccan Chronicle.

And once, her car drove out, the current Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu O. Panneerselvam threw himself face down on the ground, while other AIADMK ministers, MLAs and MPs, bowed down. She did not stop the vehicle, but just rolled down the window to acknowledge.

To Rajinikanth

Amma thanks actor Rajinikanth for his greetings on her release from jail.

In a letter, released to the local media, Jayalalitha thanked the star for the “kind and gracious sentiments”.

"I pray that the almighty may bless you with long life, good health, prosperity and success in all your activities. Please convey my best wishes to all the members of your family," she said.

She also thanked Menaka Gandhi for

Jayalalitha 'swimming in a sea of inferno'; Amma offers Dh17k to those who 'died of shock'

Jayalalitha who was released from prison on Saturday issued a statement saying that her “public life is like swimming in a sea of inferno. Since the day I committed myself to public life, I have been experiencing the ordeals of leading a life dedicated to the welfare of the people.”

Expressing her condolences to the families of people who allegedly died of shock following her arrest, she announced a relief of Rs300,000 [Dh17,990] to each of the families. She also announced that Rs50,000 will be provided to each of the three people who attempted suicide and are hospitalised.

She called on her supporters not to take any such extreme steps and thanked all those who had prayed for her release.

According to a report in DeccanChronicle, 193 people died in Tamil Nadu after hearing the news of her arrest.

Jaya in Jail

Waits for auspicious time to step out of prison

A day after Indian Supreme Court granted her bail, the former chief minister Jayalalithaa was released from jail on Saturday after spending 21 days behind bars.

She received a grand homecoming, with thousands of supporters thronging the streets and shouting slogans. Security was tightened in both the states to keep a check on excited supporters.

In Bangalore, the AIADMK leader waited for an auspicious moment to leave the prison, reported indianexpress.

Although Jayalalithaa’s release from the Special Court reached the prison at around 2.45 pm she waited until the end of the inauspicious period at around 3.15 pm to step out of the prison, jail officials were quoted as saying.

Jayalalithaa’s Z category security was immediately restored no sooner than she stepped out of prison and she was escorted to a waiting car from where she was flown in a special plane to her home state.

'Amma' released

A powerful south Indian film-star turned-politician, jailed last month for corruption, was freed on bail Saturday and drew a jubilant reception from supporters.

Hundreds of loyal fans lined up to cheer 66-year-old Jayalalithaa Jayaram as her convoy sped to the airport from the jail in the southern city of Bangalore where she had spent 22 days in the women's detention wing.

Other supporters burst fire-crackers and danced in celebration as the hugely popular politician was released.
Jayalalithaa waved to crowds as she left the jail where she was entered in the institution's rollbook as prisoner number 7402.

"We have set Jayalalithaa free after verifying the court order," Karnataka state deputy inspector general of prisons P.M. Jaisimha told AFP.

The Supreme Court ruled Friday that the politician, known as "Amma" or "mother" to her adoring supporters, could be freed on bail pending an appeal against her conviction.

Jayalalithaa, head of the AIADMK or All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party, was obliged by law to step down after her conviction as chief minister of Tamil Nadu state.

She was replaced by a loyal follower at a swearing-in ceremony where many cabinet members sobbed into handkerchiefs in an emotional display of fidelity.

The Supreme Court insisted in exchange for granting Jayalalithaa bail that the politician -- nicknamed the "iron butterfly" for her firm rule -- appeal to her supporters not to resort to violence over her case.

Jayalalithaa had garnered huge support with her state-run canteens serving nutritious food at low cost, as well as election freebies including electric blenders, goats and small amounts of gold.
She was convicted last month of having assets vastly exceeding her income -- including land, gold and a huge collection of shoes and saris -- in a case that had dragged on for nearly two decades.

She was sentenced to four years in jail and slapped with a one-billion-rupee ($16-million) fine under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The politician's lower court trial had been shifted from Tamil Nadu, where she has been a prominent and controversial figure, to neighbouring Karnataka state to ensure a fair hearing.

India's Supreme Court grants interim bail; suspends sentence

The former chief minister of Indian state of Tamil Nadu has been granted bail by India's Supreme Court after she was sent to a Bangalore jail almost three weeks earlier. She was convicted in a corruption case and sentenced to four years in jail.

The top court suspended Jayalalithaa's sentence for two months and granted her an interim bail, provided she 'makes available all documents and translated copies available to Karnataka High Court for speedy adjudication of her appeal against conviction', reports The Times of India, an Indian daily.

If Jayalalithaa fails to follow the apex court's order and does not deliver the documents to the high court by December 18, the AIADMK supremo will have go back to jail.

Earlier, the Karnataka High Court rejected her bail plea. Following this, her legal team knocked on the doors of India's highest court.

The 66-year-old politician had applied for bail on the basis of her advanced age and frail health. She had stated that she suffered from diabetes, hypertension, cellulitis and other ailments.

Lawyer arrested for condemning judge and sticking posters

A lawyer and AIADMK member was arrested by Indian police on Wednesday for sticking posters and condemning the Bangalore special court judge who convicted Indian politician and AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa.

According to a report in local daily, The Times of India, the 50-year-old lawyer was charged for disfigurement by objectionable advertisements and penalty for unauthorized disfigurement by advertisement. A village administrative officer had filed an official complaint against the lawyer.

The man was let out on bail later.

EARLIER

As the hearing date of Jayalalitha’s bail plea in the Supreme Court nears, her supporters have stepped up their protests across her home state.

Last week, when her bail plea was heard at the Karnataka high court, her party men had resorted to a novel method of protest.

AIADMK members used their blood to sign petitions to the President of Indian and Tamil Nadu Governor to request for their help in getting justice for their leader, reported telugumirchi.

One of the legislators was quoted as saying that they “engaged doctors and nurses to draw blood… we will fight in a peaceful manner until she returns home and get justice…”

According to the report, more than 2,500 people had signed the petitions using their blood.

Who gets Amma's food-taster job?

The former chief minister of Tamil Nadu continues to remain in jail, with her bail plea at the Supreme Court to be heard only later this week.

Even as her party continues their show of strength and her legal team battles to have her out, reports from inside the prison reveal that the lady is very co-operative.

While she has been given no extra privileges apart from a separate cell with a TV and no uniform, her food is being tested for safety before it is served, according to a senior official, reported Deccan Chronicle earlier.

“Her food requirement is very simple...her security requires that it should be tasted before being served to her,” a top government officer was quoted as saying on condition of anonymity.

No broken lady; needs curd, rice and hot milk

Jayalalitha is co-operating completely with jail authorities, according to top jail official.

She is fit and fine and has not shown any signs of a broken woman, DIG Prisons, was quoted as saying in Deccan Chronicle.

“The whole credit goes to Jayalalithaa, who has been so cooperative with the jail authorities…she thanked us for being kind to her demands,” the DIG was quoted as saying.

However, she is very strict about her food, the official added.

She eats curd rice for lunch and dinner, along with either a banana or an apple and hot milk along with bread and a cup of coffee in the morning, the paper reported.

She also reads Tamil and English newspapers every morning between 6am and 7.30am.

The 66-year-old three-time Chief Minister has been behind bars for two weeks and her bail plea is expected to come up for hearing today in the Supreme Court.

Amma has supernatural powers... she can see it all

The Supreme Court is likely to hear Jayalalitha's bail plea tomorrow [Monday], however, not many are hopeful of the former chief minister receiving one as the Apex Court has strictly maintained its stance on corruption.

Meanwhile, hundreds of supporters are camping outside the jail premises in Karnataka amid heavy police patrols. There is a decorum followed even there. MLAs and MPs are seen sitting comfortably in make-shift tents, while district and city council-level leaders are settled on the pavement and commoners are stopped by police a good 500 meters away from the prison area.

Jayalalitha, however, has not met with any leader as yet. So what is the use of them camping out? Well, one of her party men says, "She is testing our devotion. She knows it all and is watching all." One of them even suggests she has supernatural powers, reported Hindustan Times.

Yet another party man is demanding a meeting with the police commissioner in order to request the cop to arrest him so that he can be close to his 'Amma' in jail.

All these die-hard supporters are waiting with bated breath for tomorrow as her bail plea is likely to be taken up at the Supreme Court.

Several dead

Several heart-broken supporters of Jayalalitha have given up their lives unable to bear the anguish, according to her partymen.

According to data compiled by AIADMK on the basis of inputs it received from various districts,154 sympathisers have died so far, reported oneineida.in.

The toll included 113 who died of cardiac arrest; 14 committed self-immolation; fifteen hanged themselves and seven consumed poison. One died by jumping in front of a bus; two others in front of a train and two drowned in a river, the functionary said.

The party has also released the names and addresses of the deceased.

Meanwhile, noted lawyer, Jethmalani, who had appeared for Jayalalitha said appeals should be heard within a reasonable period of time.

Criticising the judgement of the Special Court in the disproportionate case, he had said that assets prior to the period between 1991 and 1996 (when Jayalalithaa was CM) could not be taken into account.

There was nothing disclosed in the conduct of Jayalalithaa to show that she might abscond, he had contended, reported zeenews.

Hopes age and gender will 'bail' her out

Jailed Indian politician J Jayalalithaa approached the Supreme Court for bail, after her application was rejected by the Karnataka High Court.

The AIADMK chief urged the top Indian court to grant an urgent hearing on her plea on Friday. She has cited ill health as ground of her immediate relief. She has also claimed leniency as she is aged above 60 and is a woman.

EARLIER:

An Indian court on Tuesday rejected the bail plea of a former film star turned politician J Jayalalitha jailed for corruption last month after a judge ruled she could not have afforded her lavish lifestyle on her modest salary.

Following the verdict supporters went berserk.

Tamil actress Maya on Wednesday attempted suicide in front of police commissioner's office to protest the imprisonment Jayalalitha, reports India Today.

Maya along with her daughter tried to self-immolate with a can of kerosene. But they were stopped by officials on duty.

Maya and her daughter were subsequently taken into custody and questioned.

Supporters create ruckus

It was a day of intense dramatics as Jayalalitha’s bail plea was being heard in the Karnataka court on Tuesday.

The former chief minister’s supporters waited with bated breath for the verdict, to see their favourite leader out on bail. And when several local channels flashed the news of a conditional bail being granted, they erupted in celebrations – distributed sweets and burnt firecrackers, too. AIADMK supporters had thronged the party headquarters and her residence in Chennai, not to mention the crowd outside the court premises.

However, the good news was short-lived.

What actually happened was that Special Public Prosecutor had told the court that the prosecution had no objection in the former chief minister getting conditional bail. This was wrongly interpreted and the news channels broke the news of a ‘conditional bail’, reported freepressjournal.

When the crowd learnt that the news was false, they went berserk vandalizing restaurants, stopping buses and shouting slogans.

While partymen sat on hunger strikes demanding their leader be granted bail, there were scores of others seen eating food from the ground to forming human chains in protest.

A large number of policemen have been deployed across the town, reported ToI.

Court denies bail, supporters wail

An Indian court on Tuesday rejected the bail plea of a former film star turned politician jailed for corruption last month after a judge ruled she could not have afforded her lavish lifestyle on her modest salary.

The judge said there were no grounds to release Jayalalithaa Jayaram, who was jailed for four years and fined one-billion rupees ($16 million) for illegally amassing wealth including gold, properties, shoes and saris.

"The Supreme Court (has) clearly indicated that corruption violates human rights and leads to economic imbalance," said the judge, Justice A.V. Chandrashekara, as he gave his ruling.

Television footage showed crowds of supporters wailing and throwing their arms in the air in despair in Tamil Nadu, the prosperous southern state that she led until her conviction.

The politician has appealed against her conviction.

Jayalalithaa has been criticised for her extravagance, but who inspires huge loyalty in Tamil Nadu, where she is known simply as "Amma", or mother.

Her AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) party emerged as the third biggest force in the national parliament after elections in May.

The 66-year-old won over voters after handing out freebies including electric blenders, goats and small amounts of gold.

No cosmetics; only brown bread and milk

Jayalalitha’s bail plea is expected to be taken up tomorrow, even as the ex-chief minister who was lodged in the prison hospital for the first three days has got used to the prison schedule.

She is currently in the VVIP cell in the women’s barracks and is treated “like any other prisoner”, reported indiatoday.

Jail officials said Jayalalithaa wears her own sarees, and not the jail uniform because she is serving a simple imprisonment. She does not use any cosmetics, either.

She has tasted jail food and has often ordered milk, biscuits, brown bread and chapatis whenever she is hungry. However, she has been permitted to get food cooked by her personal staff from outside, the report added.

Will VIP inmate of Agrahara Prison meet Abdul Naser Madani?

The former chief minister of Tamil Nadu, J Jayalalitha, will be confined to the VIP cell of Parappana Agrahara prison in Bangalore till Tuesday, as her bail plea has been adjourned by the Bangalore High Court till Monday.

The arrest and imprisonment of the heroine of the Tamil film industry turned chief minister, has kicked off a heated chain of activities in South India.

Social networking sites are flooded with comments on the irony of history whether the new VIP inmate of Parappana Agrahara Jail in Bangalore will meet prisoner number 8362, ie. Abdul Naser Madani, who has been confined to the prison for nearly ten years, until he was released on bail recently for treatment of chronic diabetics due to the intervention of the Supreme Court of India.

Abdul Naser Madani was arrested in an alleged bomb blast case in Coimbatore and his supporters said many attempts to prove his innocence or appeals before Jayalalitha to give bail were denied.

The partially blind Abdul Naser Madani was like a skeleton, when he was released on bail one and half months ago, after the Supreme Court intervention.

Supporters and human right activists in the state of Kerala as well in the Gulf have said it is an irony of history that the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu who for several years vehemently opposing several bail pleas by the family of Abdul Naser Madani, Chairman of Kerala, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was now in the same jail.

“We are happy that now Madani is undergoing treatment in Bangalore hospital for diabetics and renal and eye sight problems. His bail plea has been extended for one more month by the Supreme Court. We hope he will be shifted to Kerala for further treatment and we are approaching the Supreme Court of India,” said Elias Thalassery from the Friends of Abdul Naser Madani group.

The former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister will be occupying a VIP Prison cell, adjacent to the one in which Abdul Naser Madani, was living for several years

“Everybody is keenly watching whether the new inmate of Agrahara jail will get a chance to meet Abdul Naser Madani,” added another supporter. [By VM Sathish]

Earlier reports

An Indian film titled ‘Amma’ has caught the attention of the South Indian movie industry and distributors in the wake of former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa’s conviction in the disproportionate assets case.

'Amma' is a multi-language film based on the life no jailed Jayalalitha.

Ragini Dwivedi, who is playing the role of Jayalalithaa in the film, said movie buffs and distributors are keen on the film content owing to the recent developments in the Tamil leader’s political life.

Owing to the recent developments the movie is going to have a different climax, as against the previous one.

Director Faisal Saif has been busy tweaking the climax of the film ever since a special court in Bangalore convicted Jaya in the Rs 65.66-crore (INR) disproportionate assets case.

The movie will be released in five languages - Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu and Malayalam.

How will Jaya pay her Dh60 million fine?

AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa was awarded 4 years jail term and was asked to pay a fine of Rs 100 crore (Dh59.8m) in the disproportionate assets case.

In the order the judge says in default to pay the fine amount, she shall undergo further imprisonment for one year, reports thenewsminute.com.

The judge then explains how the fine is to be paid. He says the fine will first be taken as proceeds of the fixed deposits and the cash balance of the respective accused in the bank accounts.

He has asked the concerned banks to remit the proceedings which will be adjusted towards the fine.

The two main bank accounts which were used were Central Bank of India, Canara Bank, Bank of Madurai, amongst others.

He further says that if there's a shortfall between what is available and what is due, then gold and diamond ornaments seized and produced before the court shall be sold to RBI, SBI or by public auction.

During the course of the investigation 7040 grammes of gold were seized.

Should there be excess money after all the said transactions are completed, the same will be forfeited to the government.

He has also asked that Rs. 5 crores be given to the government of Karnataka for reimbursement of cost of trial.

Jayalalitha will have to remain in jail for at least six more days after she failed to get any immediate relief from the Karnataka High Court, which deferred until October 7 a hearing on her plea for immediate bail.

EARLIER:

Hospital ward ready; rumours of heart problems

Jayalalitha’s bail plea that will now come up for hearing on Monday [October 6] cites her health conditions among other reasons.

Her appeal said that she is suffering from diabetes and hypertension due to the pendency of the case for 18 years.

Meanwhile, Bangalore police chief on Tuesday took to Twitter to squash rumours about her ill health, according to an indianexpress report.

“Some Kannada news channels are showing that Kum. Jayalalithaa is unwell and having heart problem. THIS IS NOT CORRECT”, he tweeted.

He explained that prison officials have followed rules and have written to two hospitals to keep a ward ready as precaution. Whenever there is a Z+ security person in the city, police informs a couple of government hospitals to have a ward ready as a precaution. The same protocol was followed in Jayalalitha’s case, too.

He called upon public not to pay heed to rumours of her ill health.

Special chair for back-ache; No bail today

Jayalalitha, the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, will continue to stay in jail for now as the Karnataka High Court adjourned a hearing on her bail plea, today [Tuesday]. It will only be taken up on Monday.

Jayalalithaa had filed a bail application citing that full arguments were not heard and the fine imposed was too heavy.

As she spent the third night in jail the volatile situation in her home state began limping back to normalcy.

Transportation resumed on the roads and there were no reports of violence. Her trusted aide also took over as the new chief minister. Interestingly, most of the ministers broke down while taking oath. Pictures of them are circulating on social media with sarcastic captions. One @firstpostin read:
"Mirror mirror on the wall. Who's the saddest of them all? Which AIADMK MLA is saddest at their swearing in ceremony?"

Meanwhile, the flow of visitors to meet her in person continues unabated. Earlier on Sunday, security officials at the prison refused to allow her ministers take a wired chair for her as she suffers from back ache, reported thehindu.com

Jayalalitha’s party men thronged the jail premises seeking permission to meet their leader. They raised slogans and police had to chase the crowd away using mild force to bring the situation under control.

On Saturday, the three-time Chief Minister was sentenced to four years’ simple imprisonment and a Rs.100-crore fine was imposed on her for offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The three co-accused were sentenced to four years’ imprisonment with a fine of Rs. 10 crore each.

Meanwhile, co-accused V. Sudhakaran was admitted to the hospital in the prison after he complained of unease on Sunday morning.

Jayalalitha in jail, Day 2: Prisoner No 7402 refuses to eat jail food

Jayalalitha who was sentenced to four years in jail on Saturday after being found guilty of amassing wealth of more than $10m which was unaccounted for during her first term as Chief Minister between 1991 and 1996, spent her second night in Bangalore jail as prisoner number 7402.

The second day saw her in the jail hospital after she complained of increasing sugar levels, reported ToI.

Her day began at 5.30am with limewater and a morning walk within the jail premises. After which, she read five newspapers – three Tamil and two English – and underwent a regular medical check-up.

Breakfast, comprising idli, vada and sambhar, was brought from outside. Jail authorities reportedly gave her permission to have home-cooked food as she didn’t want to have pulav served in prison. However, her co-accused had prison food. While, for lunch she had chapatti and curd rice.

Earlier on Saturday night she had refused to eat prison food and chose fruits instead.

She is lodged in a separate cell [Number 23] in the women’s wing and has managed to get more facilities than what the prison manual authorizes. The 66-year-old former chief minister has a 12x8 sq ft enclosure, with two chairs, a table and a cot, while the rule provides only 50sqft of ground space per prisoner. She also has a fan and television and a multi-layered security ring, including women guards.

Similarly, she wasn’t wearing the prisoner’s uniform and was not seen working, a source was quoted as saying.

28kg gold, 750 pairs of shoes, 10,000 saris... now Jayalalithaa in jail, Day 1

Former film star Jayalalithaa Jayaram, one of India's most colourful and controversial politicians, held crisis talks inside jail on Sunday after her conviction in a corruption case, an aide said.

Jayalalithaa, 66, who enjoys a cult following in the southern state of Tamil Nadu that she has long governed, was jailed for four years on Saturday over the case that has lasted nearly two decades.

A judge in the southern city of Bangalore found Jayalalithaa, Tamil Nadu's chief minister, guilty of amassing illegal wealth in the case that she has always dismissed as being politically motivated.

She spent the night in a cell in Bangalore's main jail in a extraordinary transformation of fortunes for the woman known as "Amma" (Mother) to her fans, whose ministers have been known to prostrate themselves before her.

Jayalalithaa, who was also fined one billion rupees ($16 million), met in jail with a group of senior lawmakers and officials from her All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) about choosing a new chief minister, a party official said.

Jayalalithaa is now disqualified from holding the top job, although she is expected to appeal to the High Court this week to seek her release from jail, according to reports.

"As our supremo, Jayalalithaa has advised cabinet colleagues and party leaders to convene a meeting of all lawmakers in Chennai later in the day and elect a leader to serve as our chief minister," the AIADMK official told AFP.

"Jayalalithaa wants a new leader to take over at the earliest for continuation of administration and to assuage the hurt feelings of lawmakers and thousands of party cadres across the state over the verdict," said the official, who did not want to be named.

Jayalalithaa was still expected to play a key role from behind bars in running Tamil Nadu as well as the AIADMK, the third biggest force in the national parliament.

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