Jaya DA case; court imposes cost on SPP

A special court today imposed a cost of one-day salary on Special Public Prosecutor Bhavani Singh for not resuming the final arguments in the disproportionate assets case against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and three others citing ill-health.
Judge Michael D'Cunha imposed the cost amounting to about Rs 60,000, after Singh pleaded for adjournment on grounds of ill health.
The court had directed Singh on February 28 to resume arguments in the case in which Jayalalithaa had been charged with accumulating Rs 66 crore wealth disproportionate to her known sources of income during 1991-95 when she was Chief Minister.
As the case came up for hearing, Singh submitted medical documents to the court and sought time to commence arguments citing health problems.

The judge, however, did not accept Singh's request saying the medical documents were untenable and ordered Singh's assistant to commence the final arguments.
Singh, however, did not give permission to his assistant to argue, which prompted the judge to impose the cost on him. The matter was posted for tomorrow.