Zee Media Bureau, Bangalore :In a huge setback to J Jayalalithaa, a special court on Saturday awarded a 4-year jail term and fine of Rs 100 crore to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister after founding her guilty of amassing Rs 66.65 crore wealth disproportionate to known sources of her income during her first term in office.Her conviction has led to violent protests in Tamil Nadu.Following this verdict, Jayalalithaa, also known as Amma (mother) by her party cadres, is disqualified as a member of Tamil Nadu Assembly. The big question now is who will head the government in the absence of Jayalalithaa.Pronouncing the order amid tight security, Special Judge John Michael D’Cunha held AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa guilty of amassing wealth disproportionate to known sources of her income under Sections 109 and 120 (b) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, said Special Public Prosecutor G Bhavani Singh.The Special Judge had directed all the accused to be present in his court on the judgement day today. DMK Lawyer Saravanan added that Rs 10 crore fine has been imposed on each of the other three accused.Jayalalithaa’s close aide Sasikala Natarajan, her niece Ilavarasi and her nephew and the CM’s disowned foster son Sudhakaran were also convicted in the 18-year-old case.The judge pronounced the order in a special court set up in the central jail at Parapanna Agrahara in the city’s southern suburb amid tight security.Reacting to the verdict, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) workers mourned, while Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam workers celebrated outside party president M Karunanidhi’s Gopalapuram residence in Chennai.
