Crucial day for Jayalalithaa, High Court to hear bail plea today

BENGALURU: The special vacation bench of Justice Rathnakala will on Wednesday take up the bail plea hearing of former Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa, who has been lodged in the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison after being convicted by a special court in a disproportionate assets case.

The judge will also hear the bail applications of three close aides of Ms Jayalalithaa, who have also been convicted in the case.

The high court issued a notification on constituting the special vacation bench following the orders of Chief Justice D.H. Waghela. Advocates working with Supreme Court senior advocate Ram Jethmalani, who is representing Ms Jayalalithaa, approached the High Court Registrar (Judicial) seeking for an urgent hearing of the appeals filed by Ms Jayalalithaa and three others – Ms Sasikala, Ms Ilavarasi and Mr Sudhakaran.

Justice Rathnakala, while hearing the appeals earlier on Tuesday, had adjourned the hearing to October 6 after Special Public Prosecutor Bhavani Singh, who argued the case before the special court, told the judge that he had not yet received an official notification appointing him as SPP for the criminal appeals filed before the High Court.

Ms Jayalalithaa’s advocates have sought suspension of the sentence pending appeal under Section 389 of the CrPC, and for her release on bail. Ms Jayalalithaa and her three aides have been lodged in the prison since Saturday after the special court sentenced them to four years imprisonment.