In the year 1996, Jayalalithaa lost the state elections as her public image was shadowed by corruption allegations. Many cases of corruption were filed against her by the leader of the Opposition party, Karunanidhi. Jayalalithaa was arrested in December 1996 and there began her tryst with the law. After her bail was rejected, she was finally acquitted in the case in the year 2000. However, the High court upheld the order of the lower court.