New Delhi, Oct 19 (IANS): The Supreme Court Tuesday asked the Karnataka government to state the steps taken by it to provide security cover to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa when she comes to Bangalore to appear before a trial court hearing a corruption case against her.
Jayalalithaa, who is to appear before the trial court on Thursday, has sought deferment of the date of her appearance to the last week of November.
A bench of Justice Dalveer Bhandari and Justice Dipak Misra asked the Karntaka government to file an affidavit detailing the arrangements made by it for providing security cover to the Tamil Nadu chief minister in pursuance to the apex court directions of Sep 12, 2011.
The apex court by its Sep 12 order had directed the Karnataka government to "ensure that the proper security is provided to the petitioner (Jayalalithaa)."
Appearing for Jayalalithaa, senior counsel Mukul Rohtagi told the court that the National Security Guard (NSG) that takes care of Z+ security cover of the Tamil Nadu chief minister requires three to four days to sensitise the area before a visit.
Rohtagi said that they have cross-checked with the NSG which had said that they would require three-four days time to sensitize the premises where Jayalalithaa would appear in her case.
He told the court that four places have been identified for holding the trial but there was some or the other problem with all of them.
The court was told that on Oct 20itself, Karnataka Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda would be inaugurating the Bangalore metro which would be a big event in the city and a lot of security would be diverted for it.
As Rohtagi made the plea, the court said that a "speedy trial is important but the security of the petitioner (Jayalalithaa) is also equally important."
"The (Sep 12) order was passed in the beginning of September. What your state has done so far," the court asked Karnataka's standing counsel Anitha Shenoy.
"If you have made the proper arrangements then... if you have not made them we will have to defer the appearance (of Jayalalithaa)."
As court made the observation, Rohtagi was quick to add that "I have no problem in appearing before the court. I am ready to go there."
The court will take up hearing of the matter again Wednesday morning.