Chennai: The AIADMK meets today (Sunday) to name the new chief minister of Tamil Nadu. Zee News reports, "some of the names of Jayalalithaa's cabinet ministers including O Panneerselvam, Natham Viswanathan and V Senthil Balaji besides former Chief Secretary and Advisor to Tamil Nadu government, Sheela Balakrishnan are doing the rounds for the top post."
Tamil Nadu new CM will be named very shortly: AIADMK
3:55 pm: Verdict not final, say AIADMK allies
Rallying behind beleaguered AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa, two of her allies today said the Bangalore special court verdict convicting her in the disproportionate assets case was not final and expressed hope that she would emerge victorious.
"The verdict is not final and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa will break the barriers through appropriate legal procedures," All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi (AISMK) chief R Sarathkumar and Tamilaga Vazhvurimai Katchi President T Velmurugan said.
"The AIADMK will continue the welfare government under the able guidance of Jayalalithaa," they said in identical statements here.
Several smaller outfits such as "Kristhava Kazhagam" expressed similar views and solidarity.
Meanwhile, scores of AIADMK workers held a "hunger strike" at several locations in the state protesting the verdict.
Women office-bearers of the party and their supporters in Srirangam, the Assembly constituency of Jayalalithaa, said the case was politically motivated and fabricated.
In costal Nagapattinam district, hundreds of fishermen in ten hamlets and their women family members undertook a fast at Tarangambadi expressing shock over the court verdict.
Fishermen of 54 other hamlets in the district hoisted black flags on their boats, police said.
3:45pm: DMDK leader calls on Guv over law & order situation in TN
DMDK, the main opposition party in Tamil Nadu Assembly, today expressed concern over 'deterioration' of law and order in the state following Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's conviction in an illegal assets case and urged Governor K Rosiah to 'restore the rule of law.' DMDK founder and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Vijayakant met the Governor and presented a memorandum to him in this regard.
In the memorandum, Vijayakant, an ally of NDA, expressed concern over the law and order situation and referred to "visible reports" of AIADMK supporters "indulging in violence," targeting opposition leaders and their residences besides damaging public property.
Stating that there was a 'lurking fear' in the minds of people, he said, "We request your Excellency to instill confidence in the hearts of the people and restore the rule of law. We are sure that you will intervene and ensure the peaceful atmosphere in Tamil Nadu immediately," he said.
Later he told reporters that he sought protection for leaders of opposition parties. On Saturday, AIADMK workers indulged in stone-pelting and torched buses at several places in the state following the conviction of Jayalalithaa in the Rs 66.65 crore disproportionate assets case by a Bangalore special court.
2.27 pm: Jayalalithaa to move Karnataka high court seeking bail
Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa, who was convicted by a special court to four years in jail in disproportionate assets case, will move the Karnataka high court on Monday demanding bail. She is also planning to seek a stay on her conviction, Jayalalithaa's lawyer B Kumar told PTI.
On Saturday, the Chief Minister was sentenced to four years in jail by a special court, which has also fined her Rs 100 crore, after she was found guilty in a disproportionate assets case. The chief minister had to spend a night at the Bangalore Central jail on Saturday night.
Speculations are rife in the state as to who will take over as the next chief minister. Reports till Sunday afternoon suggested that state finance minister Paneerselvam is most likely to take the role. AIADMK MLAs will meet later today to decide on their next chief minister.
28 September, 1.00 pm: FIR against Karunanidhi, Stalin
DMK supremo M Karunanidhi and his son MK Stalin were booked by the Chennai police on charges of attacking AIADMK cadres on Saturday, a report in The Times of India said. The charges were levelled right after chief minister Jayalalithaa was convicted in the disproportionate assets case by the Bangalore court on Saturday.
According to the TOI report, members of DMK attacked a group of AIADMK members and supporters. The AIADMK cadre were burning effigies of the DMK chief and his son near their Chennai residence. DMK workers allegedly attacked the AIADMK cadres with clubs, the report added.
5.47 pm: Bangalore administration imposes Sec 144 around court
The Bangalore government has imposed Section 144, that prevents an unlawful assembly, within a distance of 5 km from the Bangalore court and the Bangalore central jail.
The court is around 20 km from the state's border with Tamil Nadu. Jayalalithaa is already on her way to Bangalore Central Jail where she will have to spend the next few days till she files her application for bail.
Reports suggest that Jaya's lawyers are seeking an immediate hearing of the bail plea under an 'emergency case' as the court is currently on Dussehra vacations.
5.05 pm: Jayalalithaa sentenced to four years in jail, fined Rs 100 crore
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has been sentenced to four years in jail by a special court, which has also fined her Rs 100 crore, news channels have reported quoting a DMK lawyer. The other three accused have been fined Rs 10 crore. Their sentencing was not immediately known.
Jayalalithaa immediately ceases to be a Member of the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly and consequently chief minister of the state.
The Governor has reportedly already called for a meeting with the Chief Secretary to monitor the law and order situation in the state as well as prepare for further administration decisions.
3.10 pm: Violent clashes grip Chennai, Bangalore
Moments after the verdict against Jayalalithaa was announced, supporters of AIADMK swooped down on DMK leader Karunanidhi's house in Chennai. DMK supporters were already in celebration mode in the venue.
Angry AIDMK supporters then clashes with DMK workers. Television visuals showed people with bleeding foreheads being escorted away by their peers.
Observers noticed that it was rather strange that there was no police posted at Karunanidhi's residence in anticipation of the violence that could follow a negative verdict. A senior journalist from Chennai told Times Now that it was shocking that there as no police already present to prevent violence as Jayalalithaa is known to be a tough administrator and never allows a law and order situation to slip out of her administration's hands. It was also noted that the police is doing little to restrain AIADMK workers from marching towards Karunanidhi's house by the police.
Latest reports suggest, that DMK workers have now created a human barricade in front of the DMK chief's house to prevent AIADMK from proceeding towards Karunanidhi's house.
2.40 pm: Justice was delayed, not denied, says DMK
As expected, DMK leaders hailed the Bangalore special court's verdict. TKS Elangovan told Times Now, "Justice was delayed but not denied. We were accused to levelling false charges against her, now we have been proven right."
BJP leader Subhramanian Swamy declared that the verdict was a 'massive blow' to the Jaya government, but he added that the DMK cannot reap too many profits from it. "The DMK has completely lost its credibility, Tamil Nadu politics will witness a huge void now."
2.31 pm: Jayalalithaa might have to spent the day and Sunday in jail
Reports suggest that the Tamil Nadu CM might have to spend the night at a jail in Bangalore. She might have to spend the Sunday in jail too. She has been remanded in judicial custody.
Speculations are on about what sentence she might have to serve and who will replace Jaya as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
Some news reports have suggested that she might have to serve a minimum of one year and a maximum of seven years in jail.
2.17 pm: Jayalalithaa found guilty in 18-year-old disproportionate assets case
Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa has been found guilty in a disproportionate assets case which she has been fighting for 18 years now. She was convicted under the Section (13) (1) E of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The quantum of punishment will be announced at 3pm today.
As a result of the conviction, she will now have to step down as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
Three others will be convicted alongside J Jayalalithaa. Co-accused Sasikala, Sudhakaran, Ilavarasi have been convicted under Sec120 b, 109 of IPC.
1.40 pm: Celebrations aside, DMK beefs up security at offices
Security has been beefed up at the DMK headquarters and residences of its senior leaders in Chennai as a Special Court in Bangalore sets out to deliver verdict in the 18-year-old wealth case against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today.
On a request from DMK, security had been increased at "Anna Arivalayam", the headquarters of DMK, two residences of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President M Karunanidhi and the residence of K Anbazhagan, party's General Secretary, police said.
It was on Anbazhagan's petition that the case had been transferred to Bangalore by the Supreme Court.
PTI
1.16 pm: DMK supporters celebrate outside Karunanidhi's house
Anticipating a verdict against Jayalalithaa, DMK supporters have turned up in full force outside chief Karunanidhi's house and has broken out in cheers and merry-making.
On the other hand, AIADM supporters have been detained from outside the Bangalore special court for protesting against the very case against their leader.
Political observers, however, pointed out that there is no reason for DMK to cheer as yet as Jayalalithaa has been to jail prior to this and she had successfully used her stint in jail to draw sympathy towards her and votes away from the DMK in the past.
TV channels are reporting that judge John Michael has already started reading out the judgment.
12.30 pm: Jayalalithaa reaches special court in Bangalore where verdict on disproportionate assets case will be delivered
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa on Saturday flew down to Bangalore in a special aircraft from Chennai for the verdict in the disproportionate assets' case against her.
The verdict will be delivered by the special trial court in the central jail at Parapanna Agrahara in the city's southern suburb.
A couple of Tamil Nadu cabinet ministers and AIADMK functionaries were present at the airport to greet Jayalalithaa on arrival amid tight security.
"Jayalalithaa left the airport and is on way to the special court under escort. We have ensured traffic-free route for her convoy to reach the jail premises before 11 a.m.," a senior police official told IANS.
Jayalalithaa. Reuters. Jayalalithaa. Reuters.
Trial court judge John Michael Cunha will pronounce the judgement in the 18-year-old wealth case after 11 a.m.
Jayalalithaa has been charged with acquiring wealth valued at Rs.66.65 crore disproportionate to known sources of her income during 1991-96 when she served as Tamil Nadu's chief minister in the first term.
As Jayalalithaa has Z-plus security cover, the police have made fool-proof security arrangements to prevent any untoward incident when she will be in the court to hear the judgement along with three other accused.
The three other accused are Jayalalithaa's associate V.K. Sasikala, Sasikala's nephew V. N. Sudhakaran and sister-in-law J. Illavarasi.
City police turned Parapanna Agrahara into a fortress and imposed ban order 1 km around the central jail as part of unprecedented security measures.
"We have deployed about 2,000 security personnel in and around the central jail and about 5,000 additional forces have been positioned across the city to maintain law and order and ensure peace," Additional Commissioner of Police Alok Kumar said.
Police have also installed CCTV cameras at vantage points in the area to check movement of people and vehicles towards the jail.
As a precautionary measure, inter-state bus services between Bangalore and Hosur across the border in Tamil Nadu have been suspended since 6am till late afternoon.
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