NEW DELHI : The Supreme Court will hear on October 17 the bail petition of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in the Disproportionate Assets case. Jayalalithaa is serving four years sentence awarded to her by a Bangalore court and is presently lodged in a Bangalore jail in Karnataka. A fine of Rs 100 crore has also been imposed on her. A bench headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu fixed the date when the matter was mentioned for urgent hearing by senior counsel F S Nariman.
The AIADMK president has approached the Supreme Court against the order of Karnataka High Court who had dismissed her bail application. She had to resign as Chief Minister following her conviction in the case.
She is seeking bail on health grounds as she has been suffering from several ailments at the age of 67. She contended that she was a law abiding citizen and there was no possibility of her absconding from the court of justice. Her three close associates — Sasikala Natrajan, Sudhakaran and Ilavarsi had also been sentenced to four years with a fine of Rs 10 crore each.
The court also attached three thousand acres of immovable property acquired by the accused between 1991-96. If she failed to get bail on October 17 then she may have to celebrate Diwali in jail.
(AGENCIES)
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