Jaya case: DMK leader seeks removal of SPP

Bengaluru, Jan 6: 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 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 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 C R 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" who were tried for serious corruption charges.

Presenting agruments 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 V N Sudhakaran's marriage ceremony.

PTI