In what will come as a huge relief for former Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa, the Supreme Court today extended bail given to her in the disproportionate assets case to April 18, 2015.

The Supreme Court has also asked the Karnataka High Court Chief Justice to form a special bench to deal with the case.

A Bench led by Chief Justice of India H.L. Dattu had, on October 17, granted Jayalalithaa bail, reposing faith in the oral assurances of her lawyer, Fali Nariman, that she would not delay the criminal appeal proceedings in the 18-year-old case.

Though it granted bail, the Bench did not dispose of the bail petition. It fixed a hearing for December 18, when Jayalalithaa and three co-accused were to report that they kept their word and filed the appeal documents and records in the High Court.

A trial court in Bangalore convicted Jayalalithaa Sep 27 for possessing assets disproportionate to her known sources of income and sentenced her to four jail term and Rs.100 crore fine. The case, which went on for about 18 years, related to the period 1991-1996 when she became chief minister of Tamil Nadu for the first time and involved Rs 66.65 crore.