CHENNAI/BANGALORE: AIADMK Supremo J Jayalalithaa on Saturday walked out of a Bangalore prison following Supreme Court granting her bail in a graft case, arriving to a grand homecoming with scores of avid supporters turning up to welcome her despite heavy downpour.
The 66-year-old former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister stepped out of Parappana Agrahara Central Prison at Bangalore after completion of all formalities, with the Special Court Judge John Michael D’ Cunha issuing the release order.
The release order by the Special Court came after a bond for Rs two crore and surety on assets for more than Rs one crore was furnished for Jayalalitha. The copy of the Supreme Court order was also produced by her lawyers. Jayalalithaa’s close aide Sasikala and her relatives Sudhakaran and Elavarasi, who also fufilled similar conditions, also walked out of jail.
Sasikala and Elavarasi were in Jayalalithaa’s car, while Sudhakaran, disowned son of AIADMK chief, was in another vehicle.
Amid massive security, Jayalalithaa came out of prison and was greeted by hundreds of AIADMK supporters who had gathered at several points en route a km away from jail to the HAL airport. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Pannerselvam, several ministers, MPs and legislators received her near the prison.
A smiling Jayalalithaa waved at her frenzied supporters holding her photos and flowers which they showered on her car as her motorcade passed on way to the airport from where she flew back to Chennai by a chartered flight.
At Chennai, where security was stepped up ahead of Jayalalithaa’s arrival, slogan-shouting men and women AIADMK supporters thronged the airport as well as Jayalalithaa’s Poes Garden residence, hailing their ‘Puratchi Thalaivi’ (Revolutionary Leader) who was released on bail after spending 21 days in the prison in the Rs 66.65 crore disproportionate assets case since September 27, 2014. A smiling Jayalalithaa waved back at her celebrating supporters.