The Madras High Court on Friday suspended prison terms of three and two years' rigorous imprisonment imposed on former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha, her close friend Sasikala Natarajan and four others by a special judge in two 'TANSI land deal cases'. Suspending the sentences on appeals filed by the AIADMK supremo and others, Justice B Akbar Basha Kadri also granted bail to them on their furnishing personal bonds for Rs 50,000 each with two sureties each for like amounts. Directing the appellants to get the appeals ready for hearing within two months, the judge said the prosecution would be at liberty to move for cancellation of bail if the appellants were found delaying the appeals.
The appellants, besides Jayalalitha and Sasikala, are former managing director of the state-owned Tamil Nadu Small Industries Corporation (TANSI) T R Srinivasan, former Rural Industries Minister Mohammad Asif, special Deputy Collector (stamps) S Nagarajan and R Karpoorasundara Pandian, who was additional secretary to then chief minister. Bureau Report