JOIN USThe Supreme Court on Friday extended the bail period of Tamil Nadu former chief minister J Jayalalitha and three others till the Karnataka High Court disposed of their appeal against conviction and four-year jail term in the disproportionate assets (DA) case.
A bench of Chief Justice of India Justice H L Dattu and Justice Arun Mishra also granted the HC time till May 12 to decide on the appeal. The HC, which had already reserved its judgment, sought time till April 30 to deliver its verdict.
The apex court had earlier given three months' time to the HC to dispose of the appeal. It had granted conditional bail to Jayalalitha and four others till April 17.
The court had then ordered: “Keeping in view the peculiar facts of the case, we request Chief Justice of the High Court of Karnataka to constitute a special bench on the date of reopening of the high court for hearing of the appeals exclusively on a day-to-day basis and dispose of them as early as possible at any rate within three months.”
During Friday's hearing, senior advocate F S Nariman, appearing for Jayalalitha, pointed out a letter sent by HC registrar-general seeking extension of time for passing of its judgment in the DA case appeal.
Senior advocate T R Andhyarujina, appearing for DMK leader K Anbazhagan, however, said the appeal may have to be heard afresh before the HC if the larger bench quashed special public prosecutor G Bhavani Singh's appointment in view of a split verdict by the two-judge bench on the issue.
The CJI had on Thursday set up the three-judge bench, which will commence hearing on the DMK leader's plea, from April 21. Anbazhagan has challenged Singh's appointment, claiming he was “hand-in-glove” with the accused. He also claimed Singh had no authority to represent the state during the appeal before the HC.
The fresh deadline of May 12 for the HC will operate only if the three-judge bench upholds Singh's appointment as prosecutor.