DMK General Secetary K Anbazhagan on Tuesday filed a petition before a special bench of the Karnataka High Court, seeking removal of Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Bhavani Singh in the disproportionate assets case against former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and three others, alleging he was “sailing” with the accused.
As soon as the court began its second day of day-to-day hearing, Anbazhagan’s counsel sought the removal of Singh from presenting arguments as he alleged that the SPP was “sailing” with the accused and not presenting the facts properly.
“I plead before the court to take a step in replacing the SPP with some other prosecutor because he has not been presenting the facts relating to the case properly and is ‘sailing’ with the accused (in this case Jayalalithaa and her aides),” Anbazhagan’s counsel submitted before Justice CR Kumraswamy here.
Yesterday, Justice Kumaraswamy had directed Singh to file a counter in the next two days to the petition filed by Anbazhagan who sought permission before the special bench to intervene as party respondent to assist him in the case.
Singh had said that when complainant Subramanian Swamy presents his arguments in the case, there is no role for Anbazhagan and without him the courts had earlier passed orders.
Anbazhagan had also submitted that he had intervened before the appropriate courts at all stages of the trial “to ensure that justice is not derailed by powerful persons”. Presenting arguments before the court, Jayalalithaa’s senior counsel B Kumar submitted that the prosecution has inflated the value of luxurious properties, jewellery and money spent on her estranged foster son VN Sudhakaran’s marriage ceremony.
Also on Tuesday, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy moved the Supreme Court, seeking an order that he be allowed to argue before the Karnataka High Court in the hearing of an appeal filed by Jayalalithaa.
A three-judge bench said that the apex court cannot pass any direction unless there is an order from the Karnataka High Court.
“You please go before the Karnataka High Court and get an order. We can look into it only after that,” the bench said.