Former Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa gets bail in graft case

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa Jayaram, imprisoned for amassing millions of rupees in illegal wealth, after her lawyer said she was in poor health. Jayalalithaa was sentenced to four years in jail last month for holding 530 million rupees ($8.7 million) in unaccounted cash and property. Her lawyer told the court that the 66-year-old politician had been unwell since she was interned in a Bangalore prison following her conviction, prosecution lawyer Subramaniam Swamy said. Celebrations erupted outside Jayalalithaa's AIADMK party office in Chennai, with television showing her supporters dancing, distributing sweets and pouring milk on her pictures. Jayalalithaa acted in several movies before joining politics and has a huge fan following. She endeared herself to millions by distributing free laptops, grinders and fans to voters. Swamy said the court sought assurance from Jayalalitha that her fans wouldn't resort to street demonstrations to protest her innocence and attack her political rivals. Following news of her arrest last month, her supporters had clashed with the police and violence erupted in parts of Tamil Nadu. "A clear warning has gone from the Supreme Court for Tamil Nadu to behave and not carry out any violence in the state," Swamy said. (Reporting by Suchitra Mohanty; Writing by Aditya Kalra; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani and Ryan Woo)