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Top south Indian politician freed on bail

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A powerful south Indian film-star turned-politician, jailed last month for corruption, was freed on bail Saturday and drew a jubilant reception from supporters.

Hundreds of loyal fans lined up to cheer 66-year-old Jayalalithaa Jayaram as her convoy sped to the airport from the jail in the southern city of Bangalore where she had spent 22 days in the women's detention wing.

Other supporters burst fire-crackers and danced in celebration as the hugely popular politician was released.

Jayalalithaa waved to crowds as she left the jail where she was entered in the institution's rollbook as prisoner number 7402.

"We have set Jayalalithaa free after verifying the court order," Karnataka state deputy inspector general of prisons P.M. Jaisimha told AFP.

Supporters of Indian politician Jayalalithaa Jayaram gather outside Bangalore Central Jail awaiting ...
Supporters of Indian politician Jayalalithaa Jayaram gather outside Bangalore Central Jail awaiting her release on bail on October 18, 2014
Manjunath Kiran, AFP

The Supreme Court ruled Friday that the politician, known as "Amma" or "mother" to her adoring supporters, could be freed on bail pending an appeal against her conviction.

Jayalalithaa, head of the AIADMK or All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party, was obliged by law to step down after her conviction as chief minister of Tamil Nadu state.

She was replaced by a loyal follower at a swearing-in ceremony where many cabinet members sobbed into handkerchiefs in an emotional display of fidelity.

The Supreme Court insisted in exchange for granting Jayalalithaa bail that the politician -- nicknamed the "iron butterfly" for her firm rule -- appeal to her supporters not to resort to violence over her case.

Supporters of Jayalalithaa Jayaram display photos and tattoos of her as they await her release on ba...
Supporters of Jayalalithaa Jayaram display photos and tattoos of her as they await her release on bail in Bangalore on October 18, 2014
Manjunath Kiran, AFP

Jayalalithaa had garnered huge support with her state-run canteens serving nutritious food at low cost, as well as election freebies including electric blenders, goats and small amounts of gold.

She was convicted last month of having assets vastly exceeding her income -- including land, gold and a huge collection of shoes and saris -- in a case that had dragged on for nearly two decades.

She was sentenced to four years in jail and slapped with a one-billion-rupee ($16-million) fine under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The politician's lower court trial had been shifted from Tamil Nadu, where she has been a prominent and controversial figure, to neighbouring Karnataka state to ensure a fair hearing.

A powerful south Indian film-star turned-politician, jailed last month for corruption, was freed on bail Saturday and drew a jubilant reception from supporters.

Hundreds of loyal fans lined up to cheer 66-year-old Jayalalithaa Jayaram as her convoy sped to the airport from the jail in the southern city of Bangalore where she had spent 22 days in the women’s detention wing.

Other supporters burst fire-crackers and danced in celebration as the hugely popular politician was released.

Jayalalithaa waved to crowds as she left the jail where she was entered in the institution’s rollbook as prisoner number 7402.

“We have set Jayalalithaa free after verifying the court order,” Karnataka state deputy inspector general of prisons P.M. Jaisimha told AFP.

Supporters of Indian politician Jayalalithaa Jayaram gather outside Bangalore Central Jail awaiting ...

Supporters of Indian politician Jayalalithaa Jayaram gather outside Bangalore Central Jail awaiting her release on bail on October 18, 2014
Manjunath Kiran, AFP

The Supreme Court ruled Friday that the politician, known as “Amma” or “mother” to her adoring supporters, could be freed on bail pending an appeal against her conviction.

Jayalalithaa, head of the AIADMK or All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party, was obliged by law to step down after her conviction as chief minister of Tamil Nadu state.

She was replaced by a loyal follower at a swearing-in ceremony where many cabinet members sobbed into handkerchiefs in an emotional display of fidelity.

The Supreme Court insisted in exchange for granting Jayalalithaa bail that the politician — nicknamed the “iron butterfly” for her firm rule — appeal to her supporters not to resort to violence over her case.

Supporters of Jayalalithaa Jayaram display photos and tattoos of her as they await her release on ba...

Supporters of Jayalalithaa Jayaram display photos and tattoos of her as they await her release on bail in Bangalore on October 18, 2014
Manjunath Kiran, AFP

Jayalalithaa had garnered huge support with her state-run canteens serving nutritious food at low cost, as well as election freebies including electric blenders, goats and small amounts of gold.

She was convicted last month of having assets vastly exceeding her income — including land, gold and a huge collection of shoes and saris — in a case that had dragged on for nearly two decades.

She was sentenced to four years in jail and slapped with a one-billion-rupee ($16-million) fine under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The politician’s lower court trial had been shifted from Tamil Nadu, where she has been a prominent and controversial figure, to neighbouring Karnataka state to ensure a fair hearing.

AFP
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