File photo of former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa.
J Jayalalithaa, the former chief minister of Tamil Nadu, is spending her 10th day in prison, after her request for bail was rejected on Tuesday by the Karnataka High Court.
Her lawyers are working to file an appeal with the Supreme Court against yesterday's decision.
Ms Jayalalithaa, 66, was found guilty of corruption last month by a court in Karnataka, where her case was transferred in 2001 from her home state to ensure her political clout would not influence the trial.
Her arrest catalyzed mass-hysteria and violent street protests among the workers of her party, the AIADMK, which delivered a blockbuster result in May's national election to become the third-largest party in Parliament. Her conviction abruptly cut short her third term as Chief Minister- the Supreme Court said last year any law-maker found guilty of serious criminal charges stands immediately disqualified from office, even if an appeal is filed against the conviction.
The case against her accuses her of using her first term as chief Minister from 1991 to 1996 to accumulate vast wealth.
The man appointed by Ms Jayalalithaa to fill in as Chief Minister - loyalist O Panneerselvam last evening appealed to the AIADMK to abstain from violent demonstrations- "the best way to show love for Jayalalithaa is to stay calm," he appealed.
Ms Jayalalithaa's lawyers want her four-year sentence to be suspended and bail to be granted to the politician popularly referred to as "Amma" or "mother."
The Supreme Court will go on vacation for Diwali from October 18 to 26 - if judges do not decide on her appeal before then, the AIADMK leader may have to spend the festival in jail.