K'taka govt withdraws Singh's appointment as SPP in Jaya case

Karnataka government has withdrawn the appointment of Bhavani Singh as the Special Public Prosecutor in the disproportionate assets case against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.

'The appointment of senior advocate Singh as SPP to conduct the disproportionate case against Jayalalithaa and others in the special court is hereby withdrawn with immediate effect,' a government notification issued yesterday said.

The High Court had yesterday issued notice to the government on a petition filed by DMK General Secretary Anbazhagan praying for quashing the notification appointing Singh as SPP, contending that it was contrary to the Supreme Court's direction.

Anbazhagan had also alleged that Singh was not discharging his professional duties and had not chosen to cross-examine important witnesses.

Jayalalithaa yesterday moved the High Court seeking to implead herself in the petition.

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has been charged with accumulating Rs 66.65 crore wealth disproportionate to her known sources of income when she was CM for the first time from 1991 to 1996.