Day-to-day hearing on Jaya's appeal begins in Karnataka HC

Court rejects her plea seeking adjournment of the case till Jan 12 to study copy of Supreme Court order

The Special Bench of Karnataka High Court on Monday began day-to-day hearing of appeals filed by former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa (pictured) and three others challenging their conviction in the disproportionate assets case.

Justice Kumaraswamy rejected the plea of Jayalalithaa, seeking adjournment of the case till January 12 to study the copy of the Supreme Court order in the case. “Already the court has given a month’s time to study the order copy. I wouldn’t allow this because I have to abide by the Supreme Court order, which has directed the honourable court to conduct the case on day-to-day basis and complete the same in three months from the date of hearing begins,” the judge told Jayalalithaa’s senior counsel B Kumar.

The Special Bench of Justice C R Kumaraswamy has been set up after the Supreme Court on December 18 last directed the Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court to constitute it to decide Jayalalithaa’s plea within three months. As soon as the court assembled, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy made an oral submission, seeking permission to implead himself in the case.

Swamy submitted that he should be permitted to present his arguments before the special bench, citing a Supreme Court order, which allowed him represent in another case.

He also submitted that it was he who had lodged a complaint in a Chennai court in 1996 that led to a probe against Jayalalithaa in what later came to be known as the “disproportionate assets case” in which she was sentenced to undergo four years imprisonment by a Special Court here last year. Justice Kumaraswamy directed Swamy to file a petition in this regard.