India Tamil leader returns as state chief after graft case

Court clears Jayaram of corruption for which she was sentenced to four years in jail and fined Rs1 billion

One of India's most powerful politicians returned Saturday as chief minister of southern Tamil Nadu state, less than a fortnight after a court acquitted her of corruption.

Former film star Jayalalithaa Jayaram was forced to stand down as chief minister of prosperous Tamil Nadu after being found guilty last September of amassing illegal wealth while in office.

The 67-year-old was sentenced to four years in jail and fined Rs1 billion ($16 million) in a case that ran for nearly two decades, but a higher court cleared her of corruption earlier this month.

The packed venue of Madras University erupted in cheers as Jayalalithaa, draped in an emerald green sari, took an oath in Tamil while her 28 cabinet ministers stood behind her on the stage.

The leader enjoys huge popularity in Tamil Nadu where fans know her simply as "Amma" (Mother) and ministers have been known to prostrate themselves before her.

Throngs of jubilant supporters lined the roads leading to the swearing-in venue in state capital Chennai, waving party flags, as police struggled to control crowds as her heavily-guarded motorcade zoomed past.

Hundreds of supporters, many in colourful dress, held up photos of Jayalalithaa, handed out sweets and danced to the beat of drums chanting "Amma Amma" and "Amma is back".

Jayalalithaa has earned the loyalty of many voters in Tamil Nadu with a series of highly populist schemes including an "Amma canteen" that provides lunch for just Rs3.

During last year's general election campaign, she garnered huge support by handing out freebies including electric blenders, goats and small amounts of gold.

Jayalalithaa's AIADMK party is the third largest force in the national parliament, and she is regarded as close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi with many of his Bharatiya Janata Party leaders attending her ceremony.

The corruption claims against her were first brought by a rival politician in the state in 1996.

She was charged a year later when police seized assets including 28 kilos (62 pounds) of gold, 750 pairs of shoes and more than 10,000 saris in a raid on her home.

Prosecutors said her assets, which reportedly included two 1,000-acre estates in the lush tropical state she ran, were vastly disproportionate to her earnings during her first term as chief minister, which ran from 1991 to 1996.