Tamil Nadu Timeline

Law JusticeDMK-AIADMK alternation

Jayalalithaa acquitted on appeal and returns as Chief Minister

· Bengaluru

Jayalalithaa acquitted on appeal and returns as Chief Minister
Prime Minister's Office, GODL-India · Wikimedia Commons

Acquitted in the assets case by the Karnataka High Court, J. Jayalalithaa took the oath as Chief Minister for a fifth time.

J. Jayalalithaa's conviction in the disproportionate assets case in September 2014 had led to O. Panneerselvam replacing her as Chief Minister. A special bench of the Karnataka High Court cleared her and the other accused, V. K. Sasikala among them, on 11 May 2015. Free to hold office once more, she was sworn in on 23 May 2015, her fifth term as Chief Minister. A by-election on 27 June 2015 returned her from Radhakrishnan Nagar. After her death, the Supreme Court set aside the High Court's acquittal on 14 February 2017.

Related events

  1. 2000

    1. 9 Oct 2000GuindyLaw Justice

      Jayalalithaa convicted in the TANSI land case

      A trial court convicted Jayalalithaa and Sasikala over the purchase of state TANSI land by their firms in 1992, a verdict that barred her from the 2001 election.

  2. 2001

    1. 21 Sep 2001 to 2 Mar 2002ChennaiPolitics

      Supreme Court unseats Jayalalithaa, O. Panneerselvam becomes Chief Minister

      After the Supreme Court held Jayalalithaa's appointment invalid, O. Panneerselvam served as Chief Minister until she returned in March 2002.

  3. 2002

    1. 2 Mar 2002 to 12 May 2006AndipattiPolitics

      Jayalalithaa returns as Chief Minister after Andipatti by-election

      After her acquittal in the TANSI and Pleasant Stay cases, J. Jayalalithaa won the Andipatti by-election and was sworn in again as Chief Minister.

  4. 2003

    1. Nov 2003BengaluruLaw Justice

      Jayalalithaa assets case transferred to Bangalore

      On a DMK petition, the Supreme Court moved the disproportionate assets trial of J. Jayalalithaa from Chennai to a special court in Bangalore.

  5. 2014

    1. 27 Sep 2014 to 23 May 2015BengaluruLaw Justice

      Jayalalithaa convicted in disproportionate assets case

      A Bengaluru special court convicted Jayalalithaa, forcing her to resign; the Karnataka High Court acquitted her in 2015 and she returned as Chief Minister.

  6. 2017

    1. 16 Feb 2017 to 7 May 2021ChennaiPolitics

      Sasikala convicted; Edappadi K. Palaniswami becomes Chief Minister

      After the Supreme Court restored V. K. Sasikala's conviction, AIADMK legislators chose Edappadi K. Palaniswami as Chief Minister.

Open in the timeline explorer