BENGALURU: A special court has written to the Karnataka Home secretary to appoint a Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) to dispose of properties seized from former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa, in a disproportionate assets case. After this, the court is likely to take a decision concerning disposal of her properties.
The Principal City Civil and Sessions Judge and First Appellate Authority (FAA) disclosed this in the order dated January 17, passed on an appeal filed by an RTI activist. Earlier, the public information officer had rejected the information sought by him on September 7, 2022.
The FAA also disclosed that the court is considering the disposal of the properties as per law, and has written to the principal secretary of the law department to appoint a special public prosecutor, before addressing the letter to the Home secretary.
Setting aside the order passed by PIO rejecting the information sought by the appellant, the FAA directed the PI O to furnish information along with the final order of the special court, and also copies of the correspondence by the court in seeking the appointment of a prosecutor for disposal of its properties.
The FAA also observed that it is the exclusive jurisdiction of the special court to comply with the final order, as there is a judicial order being passed about the disposal of the properties seized.
The appellant cannot direct or request for disposal of the properties, as claimed in the application, as steps have already been initiated in this regard, the FAA added. In his application, the activist stated that the properties seized are not required for any purpose and the items may fetch high amounts from diehard followers of Jayalalithaa, who may want to keep them for sentimental value.