It took the judge all of 10 seconds to acquit J Jayalalithaa, the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, in a corruption case.
In September, a Bangalore judge found Jayalalithaa guilty of disproportionately massing assets worth Rs. 54 crore outside her known sources of income, sentenced her to four years in jail, and fined her 100 crore.
She was granted bail by the Supreme Court after spending three weeks in jail.
Post the verdict, she was disqualified as an elected representative and obliged to step down as Chief Minister. Today’s acquittal paves way for her return to office, but she will have to contest elections within six months.
The 67-year-old was found not guilty in a nearly two-decade-old case of corruption by the Karnataka High Court today. She had been convicted last year by a Bangalore court.
The trial was held in Karnataka to ensure it was not influenced by the considerable clout her party, the AIADMK, has in Tamil Nadu.
It took just 10 seconds, according to some reports for the judge today to declare her not guilty. Three others who had been convicted along with her, including close aide Sasikala Natarajan, have also been acquitted.
The news have been trending on Twitter since morning:
How the #JayaVerdict happened. Like a Maggi noodles advert, truly pic.twitter.com/NSJBsZRHPi
— Ram (@ram_k27) May 11, 2015
Our superb Judiciary gave 17yrs to Amma to erase all the evidences and then releases her due to lack of substantial evidences! #JayaVerdict
— Angry Kejriwal (@Tweet_TAN_ic) May 11, 2015
God save this country!!! #Disappointed #JayaVerdict
— Asna (@AsnaSays) May 11, 2015
If #JayaVerdict was in cricket. Howzzaat? Umpire: LBW. Out. Appeal. 3rd umpire: Leg didn’t come bef wicket. Wicket came after leg. Not out!
— Kiran Kumar S (@KiranKS) May 11, 2015
And there were optimistics too…
Was so scared seeing Vijaykanth-DMK making alliance and all. Uff! Amma is back. TN is safe! (Atleast from the other two) #JayaVerdict
— Koushika (@koushika__) May 11, 2015
#JayaVerdict Match Fixed. https://t.co/ZaGRtEWYqc
— |गुरु कृपा| (@gurukripa33) May 11, 2015
Sarcasm too flowed:
Time very right for Dawood Ibrahim to surrender, get bail and relax in India. #JayaVerdict
— Oxomiya Jiyori (@SouleFacts) May 11, 2015
Enough. #JayaVerdict pic.twitter.com/GOeqAmQizy
— OfficeOfReviewero (@reviewero) May 11, 2015
The matter rests here.
