Supreme Court grants bailThe Supreme Court has granted bail to former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa's and has suspended her sentence. This was the last chance for Jayalalithaa to get a bail before Diwali as the apex court will go on leave for a week after Friday.

Jayalalithaa has got relief following a 30-minute hearing after giving assurance to the court that she won't take any adjournment in the High Court and will file a paperbook of her appeal within two months. The court has told Jaya, "We will not give you a day more if you fail to file paperbook within 2 months."

Senior advocate Fali S Nariman,appearing for Jayalalithaa, assured the court that the matter would not be delayed, saying that he was willing to give the statement on affidavit that no adjournment would be taken by her in the high court. "I undertake that no delay would be caused while appeal is heard by high court. It is not a game. It may have been a game before. You can record my statement," Nariman told the bench.

Jayalalithaa volunteered before the court that she be kept in confinement in house for 2-3 months while pressing for bail. The court, however, ruled that Jaya is free to go to Tamil Nadu and meet her supporters.

The bench asked Nariman within how many months would hearing of her appeal be completed. Nariman replied that he requires six weeks' time to file the paperbook as it contains 5,000 pages which have to be translated and the hearing can be completed by the high court by the end of January or February next year.

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, who had filed a complaint against Jayalalithaa after which probe was conducted against her, strongly opposed the bail plea of the AIADMK chief. He contended that it is an exceptional case and bail be denied to her. He also raised questions on the law and order problem created in Tamil Nadu by her party workers.

While her lawyers hailed the decision outside the court, celebrations broke out in Tamil Nadu and outside the Bangalore Jail too. The court has also asked Jaya to direct her party workers not to create law and order problem in the state.

Incidentally, it is also AIADMK's 43rd Foundation Day on Friday.

The apex court also granted bail to Jayalalithaa's close aide Sasikala and her relatives VN Sudhakaran, disowned foster-son of the former Chief Minister, and Ilavarasi.

Jayalalithaa had moved the Supreme Court seeking bail after the Karnataka High Court had rejected her bail plea following her conviction in the disproportionate assets case.

The AIADMK chief, who has been behind the bars since September 27, has challenged the High Court order which had refused her bail. Jayalalithaa had pleaded that she is also suffering from various ailments as grounds for her immediate relief.