BENGALURU: Former CM of Tamil Nadu and AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa was acquitted by the Karnataka High Court in the disproportionate assets case on Monday.
The acquittal proves to be a big relief to the former CM and her party. Her conviction by a trial court in September last year had disqualified her as a member of the Assembly and chief minister of the state, besides barring her from contesting elections for ten years under the Representation of the People Act.
With a clean chit from the High Court, Jayalalithaa will now be back with a bang, to become the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and lead AIADMK from the front in the forthcoming Assembly elections which is due next year.
O Paneerselvam, said to be the most trusted soldier of her, has been holding fort in her absence. He is likely to retain Finance Ministry after Jaya returns as CM.
Besides Jaya, her close aide Sasikala Natarajan, disowned foster son V N Sudhakaran and relative J Elavarasi were also acquitted by the High Court.
As the court proceedings got underway at sharp 11 AM on Monday, Justice C R Kumaraswamy read out the operative part of the verdict, triggering wild celebrations by her thousands of supporters throughout the state, dancing on the street and bursting crackers and breaking coconuts.
She was also fined of Rs 100 crore and the three other convicts Rs 10 crore each by the trial court.
