At least 16 people reportedly committed suicide or died of cardiac arrest across Tamil Nadu after the verdict against Jayalalithaa Jayaram, the chief of the AIADMK and also a former chief minister of the Indian state.
According to a caption of a photo story by The Times of India, two more people have been hospitalised with severe burns.
Quoting police the hansindia.com, an English Daily published across Andhra Pradesh, stated: “Three people hanged themselves, one AIADMK supporter committed suicide by self-immolation, one person ended his life by jumping in front of a bus and one person died after consuming poison after the court pronounced its verdict. They were identified as Subramanian, Jhonsha, Venkitesan, AN Babu, Lakshmanan and Nagalakshmi.”
“Ten others died of cardiac arrest, apparently due to shock after Jayalalithaa's conviction.”
The report also stated that two people, including a class 12 student, attempted self-immolation and have been hospitalised with severe burns. Another supporter of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) chopped off his little finger in Tirupur.
Social welfare board chairperson and AIADMK women's wing deputy secretary C R Saraswathi said the reactions of grief "shows the relationship people share" with Jayalalithaa. "Everyone in the state sees Amma as their mother," she said.
Jayalalithaa was sentenced to four years in jail and slapped with Rs100 crore fine after being found guilty of corruption by a special court in Bangalore on Saturday.
After the sentencing, Jayalalithaa — ‘Amma’ to her supporters — was sent to Parappana Agrahara jail in the city but was shifted to a hospital inside the prison premises after complaining of chest pain.
Following the verdict, the supporters of the Indian politician took to the streets and staged protests, condemning the court order. They were seen crying during the agitation programmes. They also claimed that “Amma” has played a vital role in the economic development of the state.
