Bangalore:
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has landed in Bangalore to appear in a trial court and record her statement in connection with a corruption case.
The route from the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) airport, where Mr Jayalalithaa's special aircraft landed, to the court opposite Bangalore's Central Jail, has been sanitised. The Karnataka government has made massive security arrangements - Ms Jayalalithaa has Z plus security in Bangalore. Apart from National Security Guard commandos escorting her for the hearing, there are 1,500 police personnel from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka on security duty. The first ring of security around the Chief Minister is made up of 500 policemen from her state.
Ms Jayalalithaa is reluctantly in Bangalore after the Supreme Court rejected her latest attempt to skip this appearance. The court rejected her concerns about inadequate security on Wednesday.
The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu had been told last month by the Supreme Court to attend the hearing at the special court, located opposite the Central Jail, which currently houses former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa. Her lawyers have been asking for an exemption for security reasons. The Supreme Court first refused that request a few weeks ago, stating it was a "tactic by the accused to delay proceedings." The court then asked the Karnataka government to ensure that special protection was organized for Ms Jayalalithaa's hearing.
Ms Jayalalithaa, however, petitioned the Supreme Court again. In addition to challenging the security plans drawn up for her visit to Bangalore, her lawyer said that the venue for the hearing, located 65 kilometres from the airport, is too far. Unimpressed, the judges replied, "You are a public figure. How can you remain away from the public?" The bench also turned down Ms Jayalalithaa's plea to at least shift the venue of her trial closer to the airport.
The court accepted the Karnataka government's undertaking that it has made huge arrangements to ensure a safe visit for the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. "As far as law and order is concerned, we are very serious. From our side we are fully prepared to give security," Sadananda Gowda, the Chief Minister of Karnataka said. Senior police officials in Bangalore say that though the city's metro will be inaugurated this morning in a high-profile ceremony, they would have enough personnel to ensure Ms Jayalalithaa's security.
Shasikala, a close friend of Ms Jayalalithaa and who is also named in the disproportionate assets case, has travelled to Bangalore too today. She is not part of the court proceedings today.
The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has been accused of accumulating wealth disproportionate to her known sources of income when she was the Chief Minister from 1991 to 1996. The case dates back to 1996 when the DMK government, then in power, suo motu filed a disproportionate assets case against Jayalalithaa. It was based on the complaints by the DMK's K Anbazhagan and Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy. The case was moved out of Tamil Nadu to Karnataka to ensure a fair trial.
The route from the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) airport, where Mr Jayalalithaa's special aircraft landed, to the court opposite Bangalore's Central Jail, has been sanitised. The Karnataka government has made massive security arrangements - Ms Jayalalithaa has Z plus security in Bangalore. Apart from National Security Guard commandos escorting her for the hearing, there are 1,500 police personnel from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka on security duty. The first ring of security around the Chief Minister is made up of 500 policemen from her state.
Ms Jayalalithaa is reluctantly in Bangalore after the Supreme Court rejected her latest attempt to skip this appearance. The court rejected her concerns about inadequate security on Wednesday.
The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu had been told last month by the Supreme Court to attend the hearing at the special court, located opposite the Central Jail, which currently houses former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa. Her lawyers have been asking for an exemption for security reasons. The Supreme Court first refused that request a few weeks ago, stating it was a "tactic by the accused to delay proceedings." The court then asked the Karnataka government to ensure that special protection was organized for Ms Jayalalithaa's hearing.
Ms Jayalalithaa, however, petitioned the Supreme Court again. In addition to challenging the security plans drawn up for her visit to Bangalore, her lawyer said that the venue for the hearing, located 65 kilometres from the airport, is too far. Unimpressed, the judges replied, "You are a public figure. How can you remain away from the public?" The bench also turned down Ms Jayalalithaa's plea to at least shift the venue of her trial closer to the airport.
The court accepted the Karnataka government's undertaking that it has made huge arrangements to ensure a safe visit for the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. "As far as law and order is concerned, we are very serious. From our side we are fully prepared to give security," Sadananda Gowda, the Chief Minister of Karnataka said. Senior police officials in Bangalore say that though the city's metro will be inaugurated this morning in a high-profile ceremony, they would have enough personnel to ensure Ms Jayalalithaa's security.
Shasikala, a close friend of Ms Jayalalithaa and who is also named in the disproportionate assets case, has travelled to Bangalore too today. She is not part of the court proceedings today.
The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has been accused of accumulating wealth disproportionate to her known sources of income when she was the Chief Minister from 1991 to 1996. The case dates back to 1996 when the DMK government, then in power, suo motu filed a disproportionate assets case against Jayalalithaa. It was based on the complaints by the DMK's K Anbazhagan and Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy. The case was moved out of Tamil Nadu to Karnataka to ensure a fair trial.
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