Verdict in Assets Case: Jayalalithaa Will Have to Quit if Convicted Today

Jayalalithaa, 66, left her Poes Garden residence at 8.40 am along with her close aide Sasikala Natarajan, another accused in the case, and flew to Bangalore in a special aircraft. She is expected to reach the court any moment.

If convicted, Jayalalithaa, 66, can face up to seven years in jail. She spent a few days in jail after her arrest a few months after an FIR, or police complaint, was filed in 1996. 

Special Court Judge Michael Dicunha will be delivering the verdictat the makeshift court created at Bangalore central prison at Parappana Agrahara on the outskirts of Bangalore city, which has been provided with multi-layer security cover.

The Bangalore city police have promulgated prohibitory orders under section 144 of the the Code of Criminal Procedure as a precautionary measure ahead of the court delivering its verdict.

If the court pronounces her guilty, the three-time Chief Minister will have to step down and appoint a loyalist in her place. There's speculation that she could be considering a few names to be appointed as Chief Minister in the event of her conviction. Topping the list is former Chief Secretary Sheela Balakrishnan. Others include former DGP Mr Natraj, former Advocate General and Rajya Sabha MP Navaneedakrishnan, Visalakshi Nedunchezhian, wife of late former Minister Nedunchezhian and Transport Minister Senthil Raja.

The prosecution has argued that Ms Jayalalithaa had just Rs 3 crore when she became the Chief Minister for the first time in 1991 and took a salary of just one rupee, but in her five-year tenure, her wealth and that of three others who lived with her shot up to Rs. 66 crore.

Investigators of the state anti-corruption department say Ms Jayalalithaa, her friend Sasikala Natarajan, her now disowned foster son VN Sudhakaran and Sasikala's sister-in-law Ilavarasi, floated 32 firms that bought property but had no business activities.

The alleged illegal wealth includes 2,000 acres of land, 30 kg of gold and 12,000 saris. Rs 5 crore was allegedly spent on the wedding of Sudhakaran in 1996, but Jayalalithaa claimed the bride's family paid for it.

The case was shifted to a Bangalore court after Ms Jayalalithaa returned to power for the second time in 2001. This was on a petition by a DMK leader who said that a trial in Tamil Nadu could not be unbiased in AIADMK rule. In 2011, Ms Jayalalithaa, a former film star, had attended the Bangalore court to answer over 1,300 questions asked by a judge over four days.

Ms Jayalalithaa calls the case political vendetta by arch-rival DMK. She argued that the prosecution undervalued her earlier assets, ignored her income from other sources and exaggerated the value of her property.