Only one person can be allowed to be an intervener to assist the prosecutor in a criminal trial, and it is for the Karnataka High Court to decide on allowing Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy or DMK leader Anbazhagan to intervene in the appeals filed by AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa questioning her conviction in the disproportionate assets case. This was stated by Bhavani Singh, who is appearing for the prosecution against the appeals, in his written statement filed on Tuesday in response to Mr. Anbazhagan’s plea to be an intervener in the appeals as he was allowed during the trial before the Special Court. Meanwhile, Mr. Singh, who was a Special Public Prosecutor (SSP) before the Special Court, pointed out that Dr. Swamy was the original complainant in the case and he (Dr. Swamy) was examined as a prosecution witness before the trial court in Chennai prior to transfer of the case to the Special Court in Bengaluru. Mr. Singh stated that Mr. Anbazhagan was allowed to be an intervener to assist the SPP and Dr. Swamy had not intervened before the Special Court.
However, Mr. Singh has left it to the discretion of justice C.R. Kumaraswamy, who is hearing the appeals, to take a decision with regard to the pleas for intervention. Both Dr. Swamy and Mr. Anbazhagan had made pleas to be part of the proceedings in the appeals filed by Ms. Jayalalithaa and three others accused.
All convicts have opposed Anbazhagan’s plea to be an intervener and the court is yet hear the pleas
