Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu gets five-year jail term

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Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu gets five-year jail term

[Chennai, October 09/2000]

A special court sentenced former chief minister of Tamil Nadu, Jayalalitha Jeyaram to three years in one of the Tansi land deal and two years for an another case. The special court Judge P. Anbazhagan sentenced five-year jail for the close friend and her associate Sasikala and four others and imposed a fine of 15,000 rupees each.

The Tamil Nadu Government has tightened security all over the state to avoid violence. They do not want experience the same outburst of violence when Jayalalitha was sentenced for one year on a separate case early this year. Thousands of supporters of AIADMK involved in violence and who were arrested immediately today without causing any troubles to the public or private properties in the province.

Tamil Nadu police officials said more than 350 AIADMK supporters were gathered on Monday afternoon and set fire to an effigy of Premier Karunanidhi in front of the AIADMK headquarters in Royalpettah, where also the volunteers squatted on the road. The Security forces arrested and released them in bails after they were taken to the police stations.

The cases involve purchase of land and buildings belonging to two units of the Tamil Nadu Small Industries Corporation (Tansi) lands by 'Jaya Publications' and 'Sasi Enterprises', both firms in which Jayalalitha and Sasikala were partners. Recently, the Tamil Nadu Government announced that Jayalalitha has owned million dollars worth of properties in England and investigations are undergone with the help of Indian Central Bureau.

MDMK secretary and a former coalition partner of AIADMK, Mr. Vaiko stated in a statement that this verdict is a message for all of us for not misuse government funds like what Jayalalitha did along with her associates when she was the chief minister of Tamil Nadu during 1991 - 1996. Tamil Nadu should celebrate this day for sentencing a corruption political leader, he added.

Observers say that Jayalalitha will not be able to contest in the upcoming elections to be held in 2001. The special judge has suspended the operation of the sentences till November 7 to enable all of them to go on appeal. Sources close to AIDMK party said that they have aimed at filing an appeal in High Court to suspend the sentences.