Jaya walks out of prison, lands in chennai to grand homecoming

AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa today 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 charter 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. Braving heavy downpour in Chennai that has been lashing the city for the past two days, scores of AIADMK supporters thronged the route from the airport to her Poes Garden residence even as flower petals were strewn at her motorcade by frenzied supporters in many places.

Partymen had put up banners and posters near the airport hailing 'Amma' (Mother), as she is addressed by her supporters, even as staunch AIADMK loyalists who turned up for a glimpse of their leader exuded confidence that she will successfully wade her way out of this case.

Jayalalithaa also stopped for a brief while to offer prayers at a temple.In a major relief to Jayalalithaa on Friday, the Supreme Court had granted her conditional bail and suspended the sentence of four years' simple imprisonment given by the trial court in Bangalore in the 18-year old illegal assets case.

AIADMK supporters carrying Jayalalithaa's photos and holding flowers broke into celebrations as her motorcade passed through the heavily guarded route from the prison.

Hundreds of policemen, including city armed reserve, were posted in and around the prison, with authorities clamping prohibitory orders anticipating huge flow of AIADMK supporters.

With the AIADMK chief enjoying "Z" Plus category, police had stepped up security supervised by senior officials and barricaded areas in and around the prison complex and blocked access one km away on the road leading to the prison.

Pannerselvam and his entourage had reached Bangalore in the morning.At the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border point on Hosur also, police and city armed reserve kept a close vigil and regulated movement of vehicles from the neighbouring state into the city. The jail is located about 20 kms from the Hosur point.

Groups of AIADMK supporters had gathered at Hosur entry point chanting slogans hailing their leader.Jayalalithaa and three others had moved the Supreme Court after failing to get relief from the Karnataka High Court.