Jayalalithaa

Oct. 19: Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa will fly to Bangalore tomorrow to appear in court in an assets case after the Supreme Court today took a swipe at her for raising too many concerns on personal security.

This will make her possibly the first chief minister to appear before a court in another state. She will land in Bangalore in a chartered plane and then take a helicopter to Parappana Agrahara Central Jail, where a special court has been set up.

The assets case dates back to Jayalalithaa’s second stint as chief minister from 1991-96 when she was officially drawing a salary of Re 1 from the exchequer. It pertains to her, friend Sasikala and three relatives accumulating assets worth Rs 66 crore.

Jayalalithaa had sought postponement of the court appearance to end-November citing lack of security arrangements at the jail and the pre-occupation of Bangalore police with the opening of the city Metro tomorrow.

Arguing her case in the Supreme Court, lawyer Mukul Rohatgi said she not only had Z-plus security but also enjoyed the cover of the NSG, which would require 96 hours’ notice to sanitise and seal the venue.

The court, however, brushed aside the argument. It said it shared her threat perception but the Karnataka chief secretary and the DGP had assured the court that all possible security would be provided to Jayalalithaa when she lands in Bangalore.

Although the Parappana Agrahara jail is a secured area, police have deployed additional armed guards within 500m of the premises and clamped Section 144 to prevent unlawful assembly, an officer in Bangalore said. A source said about 500 personnel would be on duty.

A helipad has been readied just outside the jail, where former Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa returned today after three days of hopping hospitals. Visitors have been barred for the period of the hearing.

In the Supreme Court today, Justice Dalveer Bhandari, one of the two judges, got irritated by Jayalalithaa’s harping on security and took a dig at how politicians like her could stay away from the people.

“Karnataka will bear the expenses of the entire machinery. Be reasonable,” Bhandari said.

When Rohatgi argued he was bothered about the venue, which was at least 60km from the city, the judge said: “You are a politician. How can you remain away from the people? The best possible security will be given.”

In early September, Jayalalithaa had approached the Supreme Court with a plea to mark her attendance in the trial court through video conferencing.

But the top court had said that laws did not allow deposition by video conferencing, citing Section 313 of the CrPC under which every accused has to appear in person to record his/her statement.

It had also dubbed her repeated attempts to postpone appearing in person as nothing but an attempt to delay court proceedings.

The top court had then asked the trial court to find a suitable venue for her appearance. On Monday, the trial court asked her to appear before it tomorrow, prompting Jayalalithaa to rush to the top court again.

Rohatgi today argued: “It is not proper for the trial court to take a decision on October 17 when the top court had taken a decision five weeks ago.”

But the Supreme Court clarified security details, including NSG cover, and ordered Jayalalithaa to appear in the Bangalore court tomorrow.

The assets case, which has been proceeding since 1997, was shifted to Bangalore on a DMK plea that a fair trial was not possible in Tamil Nadu after Jayalalithaa returned to power in 2001.

This is the only case pending of the six filed by the DMK government against her in 1996. She has been acquitted in the other five cases.