The legal cell of ruling Congress in Karnataka today advised the government in the state not to file an appeal against the acquittal of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa in the disproportionate assets case.
The role of Karnataka was administrative and not judicial and the state was not an aggrieved party in respect of the High Court judgment acquitting Jayalalithaa and three others of all charges, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee Legal and Human Rights Department said.
After meeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, department Chairman C M Dhananjaya said Karnataka had filed an affidavit in the transfer petition case (regarding shifting of trial to Bengaluru) in the Supreme Court stating that it "has no interest in the outcome of the trial".
"Therefore, filing of appeal by the state of Karnataka amounts to showing interest on the outcome of the case," he said, adding that this amounts to going back on the undertaking and also to contempt of the court.
"I am of the opinion that it is not proper for the state government to file the appeal," he told PTI.
He said the Chief Minister told him that the government would take an "appropriate decision".
The Karnataka High Court gave a clean chit to Jayalalithaa and three others on May 11, clearing them of "all charges" in the 19-year-old case, helping her to return as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
Advocate General Ravivarma Kumar and Special Public Prosecutor in the case B V Acharya have made public their advice to the state government, as the sole prosecutor, to file an appeal in the apex court.