Jayalalithaa disproportionate assets case; DMK leader's plea against SPP dismissed

BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court today dismissed the writ appeal by DMK leader K Anbazhagan against rejection of his plea for discontinuation of Bhavani Singh as Special Public Prosecutor in the Jayalalithaa disproportionate assets case.

A division bench, comprising Justice N Kumar and Justice B Veerappa, dismissed the appeal, upholding the submission of Nagananda, counsel for Singh, that by virtue of Tamil Nadu government order during the hearing in the trial court, Singh should be continued as SPP.

Nagananda had yesterday submitted that by virtue of Tamil Nadu government order during the hearing in the trial court, Singh should be continued as SPP.

However, Anbazhagan's counsel A Saravanan told that Anbazhagan would approach the Supreme Court to remove Singh.

Justice Kumar overruled the submission of C V Nagesh, another counsel for Anbazhagan, that Singh cannot present his arguments as his appointment was till the completion of the hearing in the trial court.

The bench also overruled Nagesh's submission that DVAC does not have any power to appoint their own counsel since the Supreme Court has effectively taken away the jurisdiction of Tamil Nadu government and it ought not to have allowed Singh to continue to prosecute the case.

Anbazhagan had filed the appeal after Justice Byrareddy had rejected his prayer and directed him and Karnataka government to approach the Supreme Court for clarification on the issue of procedure of appointment of SPP as it was improper for him to interpret its order.

On October 17 last, a Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu, had ordered that hearing in the High Court on the appeal filed by Jayalalithaa challenging her conviction and sentence in the case be conducted on a day-to-day basis and completed in three months from December 18.

The order was passed while granting conditional bail to Jayalalithaa who, along with three others, was sentenced to four years jail term by a special court for allegedly amassing wealth beyond their known sources of income during 1991-96 when she was Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for the first time.