Chennai/Bengaluru: As a special bench of the Karnataka High Court is to deliver crucial verdict on former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa’s appeal against her conviction in a disproportionate assets case, security has been stepped up in Bengaluru on Monday and Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) clamped.
The special high court bench headed by Justice CR Kumaraswamy will pronounce the judgment at 11 am as directed by the Supreme Court, which extended Jayalalithaa’s bail up to May 12.
Here are the LIVE updates —
- Celebrations inside Courtroom 14 after charges against Jayalalithaa, N Sasikalaa, J Elavarasi and V N Sudhagaran set aside
- J Jayalalithaa, all accused acquitted in disproportionate assets case.
- At most the judge will exercise a discussion whether the punishment should be increased or reduced: Subramanian Swamy (BJP)
- I expect that conviction will be upheld: Subramanian Swamy (BJP)
- BV Acharya (Public prosecutor) reaches Karnataka HC: ANI
- Jayalalithaa’s lawyers have entered Court No 14, verdict expected shortly
- Supporters gather outside Jayalalithaa’s residence in Chennai as the moment of reckoning draws near.
- It is not compulsory for Jayalalithaa to be present at the Bengaluru High Court premises, say reports.
- In my view Honorable Justice Cunhas’s judgement is likely to be upheld: Jayalalithaa’s lawyer Krishnamoorthy
- Everything should be considered by Justice Kumaraswamy lordship, then the judgment has to be decided: Jayalalithaa’s lawyer Krishnamoorthy
- AIADMK workers are holding prayers hoping for relief for Jayalalithaa.
- Ten platoons of the Karnataka State Reserve Police, 500 policemen and 25 senior police officers will be present in and around the high court to ensure peace and prevent any untoward incident. Entry into the high court will also be restricted to avoid crowding: Additional Commissioner of Police Alok Kumar
- We have deployed additional forces in the city and imposed ban order within 1km radius of the Karnataka High Court from 6am to 9pm on Monday to maintain law and order: Additional Commissioner of Police Alok Kumar
- Security has been stepped up in Bengaluru ahead of verdict in a disproportionate assets case.
A trial court, headed by special judge John Michael D’Cunha, had on September 27, 2014 convicted and sentenced Jayalalithaa and her three accomplices to a four-year jail term in the Rs 66.65-crore illegal assets case that dragged on for 18 years.
The three co-convicts are Sasikala Natarajan, her nephew VN Sudhakaran and her aunt J Ellavarsi. Sudhakaran is also the disowned foster son of Jayalalithaa.
The apex court on October 17, 2014 had granted interim bail till December 18 to the 67-year-old Jayalalithaa and her three co-convicts. Their bail was subsequently extended till May 12.
The general secretary of Tamil Nadu’s ruling AIADMK had also spent three weeks in the central jail on the city’s outskirts after the high court rejected her bail petition.
(With Agency Inputs)
