File photo of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.
The opposition parties in Tamil Nadu are crying foul over the alleged miscalculation in the illegal assets of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, on basis of which she has been acquitted in a corruption case. They now want the Karnataka government to file an appeal against the acquittal.
"Glaring loopholes shake the verdict's foundation. The Karnataka government should appeal and seek a stay on the High Court order," PMK chief Ramadoss said today.
DMK chief M Karunanidhi too, raised the issue. Justice Kumaraswamy, he said, "doesn't seem to have considered the Supreme Court's instruction. This raises suspicion that the judgment was hurriedly altered".
On Tuesday, the prosecution claimed there has been an error in calculating the disproportionate assets. If the math is done right, her illegal wealth far exceeds the permissible limit.
While acquitting Ms Jayalalithaa, the Karnataka High Court said she had been incorrectly charged since the prosecution had mixed up assets of firms owned by her with her personal wealth. The judge said Ms Jayalalithaa's illegal wealth was within the permissible limit.
AIADMK leaders maintain the matter was a result of clerical error.
"Ms Jayalalithaa had obtained a loan of around Rs 13 crore from "Namadhu MGR" publication. It is missing. But the total is right," said a senior leader of the party.
A member of Ms Jayalalithaa's legal team said, "The judgment has to be read in its entirety and the judge has clearly spelt out there was no conspiracy among the four accused and this miscalculation is insignificant".
Saravanan, a member of the DMK's legal team, however, said, "Clerical error doesn't change the outcome. But here it has saved Jayalalithaa from conviction and jail sentence".
The charges of miscalculation and its political fallout come as the AIADMK is busy preparing to bring back Ms Jayalalithaa as the Chief Minister.
The Karnataka government has said it would take a call on the appeal after due consultation.