AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa on Saturday arrived in Chennai to a grand homecoming with scores of avid supporters turning up to welcome her despite heavy downpour.

Earlier, she was released from Bangalore's Parapanna Agrahara prison on Saturday following completion of formalities, after the Supreme Court granted her bail in the disproportionate assets case on Friday.

She was taken via road to HAL airport from where she left on a special flight to Chennai.

As Ms. Jayalalithaa's convoy, some fitted with beacon lights, moved out of the prison complex, party cadre rushed towards it. Police had a tough time maintaining order. They used mild force to control the crowd as the vehicles made their way to the airport.

Special messenger

Earlier, the process of Ms. Jayalalithaa's release was completed before the special court in Bangalore. The court dispatched the order to the Central prison authorities through a special messenger.

With the countdown for the release of Ms. Jayalalithaa from the Central prison beginning on Saturday morning, thousands of party workers and supporters thronged near Parappana Agrahara, where she has been staying for the past 21 days.

The atmosphere outside the jail was jubilant with party workers sporting huge banners and posters welcoming Ms. Jayalalithaa. Supporters from Tamil Nadu turned up at the venue in large numbers.

The Bangalore City police, however, deployed a large number of police personnel and restricted people one and a half km radius around the prison.

Earlier, City police Commissioner M. N. Reddi posted on twitter that the release orders are likely to be issued on Saturday and that the police had posted sufficient personnel for security. “Public need not panic or fear about any incident or believe any rumours,” Mr. Reddi posted on twitter.

Sources confirmed that over 500 police personnel have been deployed to control the gathering.

The police did not allow people to crowd the roads and the supporters gathered on either side of the road.

The Supreme Court had on Friday granted bail to Ms. Jayalalithaa and three others convicted in the disporportionate assets case by a special court in Bangalore on September 27.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Pannerselvam, along with some Ministers, MPs and legislators, had reached the prison on Saturday morning to receive Jayalalithaa. Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Thambidurai was also present.
(The Hindu)