Karnataka to challenge High Court verdict in J Jayalalithaa DA case

BENGALURU: Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa will face another legal battle, with the Karnataka government deciding to appeal in the Supreme Court against her acquittal in the disproportionate assets case.

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah pushed the decision to appeal against the acquittal through the state Cabinet meeting on Monday. He endorsed the views of advocategeneral Ravivarma Kumar, special public prosecutor BV Acharya and legal advisor Brijesh Kalappa in the case. Law minister TB Jayachandra said, “the CM has asked me to go ahead with the appeal immediately, before the vacation bench. Acharya will continue to be the special public prosecutor and will be assisted by Sandesh Chowta.”

The Congress high command reportedly declined to intervene in the matter, but Siddaramaiah was advised by several Cabinet ministers and MLAs from the Bengaluru city to defer the decision till polls to the city’s civic body were completed in the last week of June.

Bengaluru has a large population of Tamils and it was felt a decision would have political impact on the Congress’ prospects.

Some sections of Congress also told the CM that this was not Karnataka’s problem and the state should just “leave things as there were”. But Siddaramaiah was reportedly adamant that the case should be fought only on legal merits and pushed his decision through the Cabinet. Justice CR Kumaraswamy of the Karnataka high court acquitted Jayalalithaa and three of her associates in the case on May 11.