New Delhi:
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today in the Supreme Court criticised the Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court for allegedly toeing the line of state government on the controversy surrounding appointment of a Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) in a disproportionate assets case against her.
The apex court agreed with AIADMK supremo's plea that the entire record relating to the sacking of SPP G Bhawani Singh be called for its perusal to ascertain the reasons to drop him from conducting the proceedings in the 17-year-old case.
A bench comprising Justices BS Chauhan and SA Bobde asked the High Court Registry to make available the entire documents relating to appointment and sacking of Bhawani Singh and posted the matter for hearing on September 23.
"We will hear the matter on Monday," the bench said.
Senior advocate Shekhar Naphade, appearing for Jayalalithaa, submitted that the Chief Justice of High Court has taken the stand similar to that of the Karnataka Government and "we would like to know the reasons behind it (removal of Bhawani Singh)".
"There is much more than what meets the eye," he said and added that "we have the right to know the reasons as the chief justice has taken the decision in administrative side".
"Nobody is above the law," the senior advocate said while justifying the demand on the part of Jayalalithaa that she deserves to know the reasons for sacking of Bhawani Singh, which was allegedly done with the intention to delay the trial of the case.
"The moment we completed our arguments, all these things have been done," he said while contending that the proceedings would be further delayed as the new SPP will again take time to go through the case file during which the chief minister is going to suffer.
Attorney General GE Vahanvati said the letter of the Chief Justice explained that since there was no consultative process in the appointment of Bhawani Singh, he was removed.