Swamy offers help in Jaya case, to file plea

The High Court of Karnataka on Monday directed BJP leader Subramanian Swamy to file a written plea, seeking to assist the court in former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha’s petition, seeking that her sentencing in the disproportionate assets case be quashed.

Jayalalitha and her associates Shashikala Natarajan, Ilavarasi and Sudhakaran have challenged their sentencing by the special court in the disproportionate asset case. The High Court has constituted a special bench headed by Justice C R Kumaraswamy, following the Supreme Court directions, to complete the hearing of their petition within three months. The special bench began its hearing on Monday.

Private complaint
During the hearing, Swamy appeared before the bench and sought to assist the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-corruption in the case.

It was because of a private complaint by Swamy against Jayalalitha that the initial probe into the matter began in 1996, before the anti-corruption wing took over the case in 1997.

Swamy mentioned that recently the apex court, while hearing the bail plea of Jayalalitha, had allowed him to argue before it and sought a similar permission from the special bench of the High Court.

He said that he is the original complainant in the matter and he should be allowed to assist the court in the matter.

The bench then directed him to file a petition. After hearing it, the court will decide about allowing it or not.

Later, speaking to the media, Swamy said that he will file the petition within a week. When questioned why he did not do so in the trial court, he said that he was not allowed to do so in the trial court. Now that there is a need to ensure that justice prevails, he has decided to assist the court.

When pointed out that even the DMK wants to assist the court in the matter, he said that DMK has no moral right to speak about corruption.

DMK general secretary Anbazhagan too filed an impleading application seeking to assist the court. Justice Kumaraswamy directed the special public prosecutor in the case G Bhavani Singh to file his objections and adjourned the matter.