BENGALURU: Twenty one days after AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa was acquitted by the Karnataka High Court, the state government on Monday decided to appeal against the verdict in the Supreme Court in a move which could spell trouble for the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
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Law and parliamentary affairs minister T B Jayachandra told the media after a meeting of the cabinet that Mr B V Acharya would be retained as special public prosecutor (SPP), while Mr Sandesh Chouta would assist him in the Supreme Court. Dismissing suggestions that the government was awaiting a go-ahead from the high command of Congress, he said: "In two cases, the Supreme Court has noted that the case was the responsibility of Karnataka. On one occasion, the court noted that once the case was transferred to Karnataka, it would step into the shoes of Tamil Nadu. The State of Karnataka has obligations and authority to appoint its own prosecutor. In another case, a three member bench of the Supreme Court noted that Karnataka was the sole prosecution agency in the case. So, it is the duty of the state to go on appeal."
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Answering a question on whether the appeal would have affect projects like construction of a dam at Mekedatu across the river Cauvery, Mr Jayachandra said they were two different issues.
