Teary-eyed Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa almost collapses in court, but is sentenced to four years in jail and slapped with Rs 100 crore penalty

Bishop

chief minister

Dravida Munnetra Kazagham

first sitting chief minister

Judge

disturbed

bent

aide

Sasikala

Jayalalitha

diabetes

Supreme Court

solidarity

special public prosecutor

Subramaniam Swamy

genesis

Janata Party

Indian Institute of Management

politician

Sonia Gandhi

the National

Bhavani Singh

Parappana Agrahara police

jail superintendent

associate advocate

Jayadeva Hospital

deputy Speaker

Tamil Nadu Assembly

A page on theCotton Girls’ School website describes J Jayalalithaa, an alumnus of the premier school, as a “wide-eyed little girl”. On Saturday those eyes looked worn and jaded as the Tamil Naduwheeled her way into the city to hear her fate in the disproportionate assets case. A few hours later, those eyes were close to tears. The blow had fallen.The supremo of the All India Anna(AIA8DMK) party became theto be convicted and sentenced to four years in jail byJohn Michael D'Cunha of a special court which was set up to try the case filed 18 years ago. The court also slapped Jayalalithaa with a mind-boggling penalty of Rs 100 crore.“She was teary-eyed, upset and exhausted,” sources who witnessed the court room proceedings told Bangalore Mirror. “Her face turned red and she appeared as if she would start shedding tears any moment, but she fought her emotions and didn’t allow the tears to roll down her cheeks." As if having a premonition of things to come, Jayalalithaa had appearedwhen she entered the court hall at the Parappana Agrahara Central Jail along with the other accused. The domineering authority which she exuded was missing. She stood in the dock for the first 10 minutes of the proceedings, but then requested permission to be seated. The judge permitted her to be seated.There was team of about 20 advocates inside the court hall, while about 25 dhoti-clad party leaders in waited in the verandah a short distance away. Throughout the proceedings, the Tamil Nadu chief minister was not allowed to speak. While the judge pronounced her guilty and as he was about to read the sentence, she almost collapsed. “Sheher head and a doctor was summoned to check her,” a source said. “Before that her formerand fellow accusedrushed to her aid.”On recovering,pleaded with the judge to show some leniency. She spoke in flawless English and told the judge that entire case spanning 18-years was politically motivated. She reportedly said: "There is no black spot in my administration or the way I run the party. This is politically motivated." She also told the judge that she suffers fromand blood pressure and requested the judge to be considerate.However, the judge, citing ajudgment, said there is no leniency in such cases. But her advocates told the court that she was acquitted in 11 such cases that were politically motivated against her and this was the 12th. It proved an unlucky dozen for the Tamil Nadu CM as the court refused to heed their pleas. The 500-odd-page Parappana Agrahara jail manual will now dictate the chief minister’s fate over the coming days.The sizeable number of her MLAs, MPs and other party cadre who had hopped over the state border in a show ofwith the CM, was kept at a distance of 2km by the police on Hosur Road. When the court ruling was announced around 5.45 pm byBhavani Singh to the media which was kept 500m from the makeshift court, the party leaders and workers, mostly comprising veshti-clad men, went into a frenzied mourning of sorts. Having come well-prepared with A3-sized photo blow-up of, who first initiated the case, they gave vent to their anger and symbolically 'beat' him with slippers. The 500-strong police bandobust ensured that the protests did not get out of hand.The special court was set up in the only building just across the road from the central prison, barely 20 km from the Tamil Nadu border off Hosur Road, after her arch rival DMK successfully pleaded with Supreme Court in 2003 to move the case outside TN to ensure a fair trial.The case has itsin 1996 when Swamy — then with theand now BJP — filed a complaint on June 14 alleging that she had amassed wealth illegally during her chief ministerial tenure between 1991-1996. Jayalalithaa was drawing an austere salary of Re 1 then. Swamy incidentally was in Bangalore on Saturday evening to deliver a lecture at theThe conviction under the Prevention of Corruption Act, obviously open to appeal in a higher court, has for now made sure that she cannot continue as the CM of Tamil Nadu; the order could virtually end the 66-year-old feisty leader's career with a new Supreme Court ruling stating that no person can fight elections for 10 years since a conviction, though age is not really a concern for aA triumphant-looking Swamy took time off from his schedule at IIMB said, ''Next isinHerald case.''He went on to say, "She was corrupt and I knew it. She hired lots of good lawyers and they found ways to delay the process. But ultimately it is a matter of great pride for me that a sessions court judge stood up to all this and gave this judgment." On the penalty imposed by the court, Swamy said, "Rs 100 crore is nothing for her. She has got Rs 30,000 crore."On the political ramifications in Tami Nadu, Swamy: "It signals the end of the Dravidian movement in politics. Now national parties will be seen more." On speculations about Rajnikanth being roped in by the BJP, Swamy said: "No more cinema stars"Convicted along with Jayalalitha during the in-camera proceedings were her close associate N Sasikala, Sasikala's nephew, V N Sudhakaran, and sister-in-law, J Illavarasi. But this appeared a mere footnote in the day’s proceedings.told the media, “Chief minister Jayalalithaa has been sentenced to a four-year simple imprisonment and a fine of Rs 100 crore while all others have been punished with four year simple imprisonment and Rs 10 crore fine each.” Singh said Jayalalithaa had been taken into custody by thefor medical examination. “They have sought special permission and court has directed theto consider them. They can appeal this judgment in the high court.”When asked about the rationale behind slapping a Rs 100-crore fine, anin the case said, “The court found that Rs 53 crore as the worth of disproportionate assets. Considering that the accused have used this amount for their use over the years, the court had imposed the fine.”Jayalalithaa has been given convict number 7402. Her friend Sasikala is convict 7403, Sudhakaran 7404 and Ilavarasi 7405. Sources say that at the prison, both the in-house doctors and her personal doctors checked the CM. She ate some fruit and drank a little milk. During the lunch break earlier in the day, Jayalaithaa is said to have consumed only a glass of water.Jayalalithaa was to be taken toafter 10 pm for health check up. By 8.30 pm police had conducted security checks and even theof thedid a recee of the three rooms on the fifth floor of the hospital. Based on the doctor's advice Jayalalithaa would either be taken back to Parappana Agrahara Central Prison or will remain in the hospital.