In a development bound to bring her back as Tamil Nadu's chief minister, the Karnataka High Court acquitted AIADMK leader J. Jayalalithaa this week in the disproportionate assets case, triggering wild celebrations by her supporters all across the state.
"Justice has won," the former Tamil Nadu chief minister gloated hours after a special bench in Bengaluru acquitted her in the Rs.66 crore case in which she was sentenced to four years in jail by a lower court.
The charges were not "sustainable", Justice C.R. Kumaraswamy said in the much-awaited verdict in the case in which Jayalalithaa, 67, was also fined a whopping Rs.100 crore.
The judge also acquitted Jayalalithaa's three co-convicts who too were sentenced to four years in jail and fined Rs.10 crore each. They included close aide Sasikala Natarajan.
The lower court was told to release Jayalalithaa's confiscated assets.
Within minutes of the judgement, AIADMK leaders, including Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, rushed to Jayalalithaa's residence. Outside and all over Chennai and Tamil Nadu, boisterous celebrations erupted.
Political analyst Gnani Shankaran said that the judgement would place Jayalalithaa on a strong wicket ahead of the 2016 elections in Tamil Nadu.
The AIADMK may even go for a snap election, he said.
AIADMK sources said Jayalalithaa was set to return as Tamil Nadu's chief minister. By law, she will have to get elected to the assembly within six months after becoming the chief minister.
The sources told media that Jayalalithaa would be sworn in before May 20. However, the exact date is not known with several dates floating around.
DMK leader and former chief minister M. Karunanidhi raised questions about the judgement.
Bharatiya Janata Party MP Subramanian Swamy, who enjoys frosty ties with the AIADMK leader, threatened to appeal against the verdict.
None of this made any difference to the mass of Jayalalithaa supporters all across Tamil Nadu who burst firecrackers, danced, whistled, gave away sweets and kept shouting "Long Live Amma".
A pleased Jayalalithaa thanked everyone who prayed for her acquittal.
Meanwhile, industry officials are heaving a sigh of relief on the expectations that Jayalalithaa would be back at the helm and start cracking on projects.
The Rs.15,000 crore metro rail project is expected to start rolling as it is ready. Similarly, several new buses are waiting to be flagged off by her.
Further the prestigious Global Investors Meet that has been postponed twice is expected to held this September.