Jaya case appeal: Will take a legal decision, says Karnataka CM

Maintaining that his government has got nothing to do with either DMK or AIADMK, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wedneday said it would take a "legal decision" on filing an appeal in the Supreme Court against the acquittal of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.

Siddaramaiah also dismissed the criticism that Karnataka, the sole prosecuting agency in the 19-year-old disproportionate assets case, did not take a timely decision on appointing the Special Public Prosecutor. "We have got nothing to do with DMK or AIADMK. We will take a legal decision," Siddaramaiah said at a meet-the press programme organised by Bengaluru Press Club here on the occasion of his government completing two years in office.

Political parties in Tamil Nadu, including DMK and Congress, have been demanding that Karnataka Government file an appeal against the May 11 high court verdict. DMK yesterday had said it will support Karnataka government if the latter filed an appeal against the acquittal of Jayalalithaa. Jayalalithaa, her close aide Sasikala Natarajan and the latter's two relatives Elavarasi and V N Sudhakaran, were acquitted by the single bench judge Justice C R Kumaraswamy on Monday, setting aside the trial court verdict that had sentenced them to four years in jail for allegedly amassing wealth beyond their known sources of income.

Siddaramaiah said the government will decide on whether to file an appeal in the Supreme Court or not after consulting SPP B V Acharya and the state law department. "We will discuss with Acharya, the law department and study the judgement and then decide whether or not to file an appeal (in the Supreme Court)," he said.

Asked about the criticism that the government had failed to take a timely decision on appointing SPP and it resulted in Jayalalithaa's acquittal, he said, "The case was transferred from Tamil Nadu to Karnataka. Tamil Nadu had then appointed the SPP. When the Supreme Court told us it is our responsibility (to appoint SPP), Acharya was appointed." He said, "Acharya was appointed within 48 hours timeline.

Acharya has only said he did not get an opportunity for oral submission." Acharya had on Tuesday said the High Court verdict had "glaring arithmetical error" relating to disproportionate assets of Jayalalithaa and this could be an "excellent point" to challenge the judgment in the Supreme Court.