Bangalore: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayanthi Jayalalithaa has reached a Bangalore trial court to record her statement in connection with a corruption case.
Ms Jayalalithaa reached the court in a long convoy of 20 cars and all that could be seen was the khaki of policemen around. The route from the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) airport, where Mr Jayalalithaa's special aircraft landed, to the court, has been sanitised. The court has turned into a virtual fortress; no private vehicle is allowed within one and a half kilometres.
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's special car has been driven up to Bangalore for her - it has a light focused in a way that people can see her spotlighted in the car. As she drove up, Ms Jayalalithaa waved to people. A number of workers from her party, the AIADMK, are in Bangalore to support their leader. By her side, is close friend Shasikala Natarajan, who is also named in the disproportionate assets case. She has traveled to Bangalore too today though she is not part of the court proceedings today.
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.
This is Ms Jayalalithaa's first personal appearance in the Bangalore trial court. She is 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 Ms Jayalalithaa, who has denied all charges and termed the case as political vendetta.
The case was moved out of Tamil Nadu to Karnataka to ensure a fair trial.
Today the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister will record her statement in court and if the court orders her continued presence, she might have to stay over in Bangalore tonight.
She 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. But Ms Jayalalithaa was loath to travel to Karnataka and her lawyers had sought exemption from her appearing personally 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.
Ms Jayalalithaa reached the court in a long convoy of 20 cars and all that could be seen was the khaki of policemen around. The route from the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) airport, where Mr Jayalalithaa's special aircraft landed, to the court, has been sanitised. The court has turned into a virtual fortress; no private vehicle is allowed within one and a half kilometres.
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's special car has been driven up to Bangalore for her - it has a light focused in a way that people can see her spotlighted in the car. As she drove up, Ms Jayalalithaa waved to people. A number of workers from her party, the AIADMK, are in Bangalore to support their leader. By her side, is close friend Shasikala Natarajan, who is also named in the disproportionate assets case. She has traveled to Bangalore too today though she is not part of the court proceedings today.
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.
This is Ms Jayalalithaa's first personal appearance in the Bangalore trial court. She is 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 Ms Jayalalithaa, who has denied all charges and termed the case as political vendetta.
The case was moved out of Tamil Nadu to Karnataka to ensure a fair trial.
Today the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister will record her statement in court and if the court orders her continued presence, she might have to stay over in Bangalore tonight.
She 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. But Ms Jayalalithaa was loath to travel to Karnataka and her lawyers had sought exemption from her appearing personally 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.
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