SC asks Karnataka not to appoint SPP in DA case against

In a relief to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, the Supreme Court today directed the Karnataka government not to appoint a special prosecutor in place of G Bhavani Singh who has recently been withdrawn from the trial in a disproportionate assets case against her.
The bench, which also decided to issue notice to the SPP who was removed on August 26, asked the state government to respond to the AIDMK chief's plea that the decision has put her protracted trial in limbo and it has been taken at the behest of her political foe DMK.
"No fresh notification for appointment of special public prosecutor in the case shall be made," a bench of justices B S Chauhan and S A Bobde said and fixed the matter for hearing on September 4.

"The SPP (Singh) is not a party before us. Suppose, he says that he does not want to remain as the SPP then what will happen," it said while issuing notice to the former SPP also.
"We have seen such things in the past. This has happened in Gujarat Lok Ayukta's case," the bench said.
"For the last 17 years, I have faced the trial. I have answered more than 2,000 questions, put to me, during trial. The examination of defence witnesses is over. My submissions are over. The prosecutor is removed in the midst of his arguments," senior advocate U U Lalit, appearing for the Chief Minister, said.

Citing previous order of the apex court, he said that it was made clear that the SPP in the case would be appointed by the state government in "consultation with the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court."
Referring to sequence of events, the lawyer said that it could be a possibility that the Chief Justice has not been consulted by the state government at all in removing the SPP.
The AIADMK chief is accused of amassing Rs 66.65 crore between 1991 and 1996 when she was the Chief Minister and the case was transferred from Chennai to Bangalore in 2003 by the apex court during her earlier tenure to ensure a fair and free trial.