Jam-packed court hall on day of hearing of Jayalalithaa’s appeal

Police personnel stopping AIADMK party workers from entering the Karnataka High Court premises. Tight security arrangments were made at the High Court of Karnataka during AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa's case in Bangalore on Tuesday. Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

The city police had tightened security in and around the Karnataka High Court building in view of the hearing of AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa's appeals against her conviction in the corruption case.

The police refused entry to a large number of AIADMK supporters and stopped them at the entrance of the court building. Only advocates in uniform, court staff, and media persons excluding camera crew were allowed to enter the court.

Court Hall-11, where Ms. Jayalalithaa’s plea was posted for hearing, was jam-packed at 10 a.m. though the proceedings were to start at 10.30 a.m. When hearing of the cases commenced, the judge had to request advocates to maintain silence as noise inside and outside disturbed court proceedings.

Some of the advocates, whose cases were listed for hearing, could not enter the court hall and some had to shout from standing near the doors of the court hall, requesting the Court to take up their matters after the hearing on Ms. Jayalalithaa’s plea.