Jayalalithaa case appeal: Karnataka CM says 'legal decision' will be taken

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said it would take a "legal decision" on filing an appeal in the Supreme Court against the acquittal of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. Siddaramaiah dismissed criticism that Karnataka, the sole prosecuting agency in the 19-year-old disproportionate assets case, did not take a timely decision on appointing a special public prosecutor.

"We have got nothing to do with the DMK or the AIADMK. We will take a legal decision," Siddaramaiah said at a meet-the press programme in Bengaluru. Political parties in Tamil Nadu, including DMK and Congress, have been demanding that the Karnataka government file an appeal against the May 11 high court verdict. In another development, Tamil Nadu ministers, including Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, called on the AIADMK chief at her residence in Chennai on Wednesday and discussed about the party's next step, following her acquittal. The meeting comes against the backdrop of expectations that Jayalalithaa might return as the chief minister soon.