As the pressure mounts, the Congress-led Karnataka Government would take a call “as early as possible” on the issue of filing an appeal against acquittal of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa in the disproportionate assets case, State law Minister TB Jayachandra said on Saturday.

He said, “We (Government) had sought many clarifications and they have been answered by the Advocate-General (Ravivarma Kumar). On merits where are we — I am examining it, and I will take a final call as early as possible,” he told reporters here.

Jayachandra said the Advocate General has recommended the Government to file an appeal in the Supreme Court, but he refused to share the details on the AG’s views.

However, “As per law, 90 days is the limit. It is not even 15 to 20 days (since the verdict came), and ... the law department has to go and study all aspects,” he added.

Karnataka Advocate-General Ravivarma Kumar had  earlier cautioned the State Government that it would be a “great travesty of justice” to allow the High Court’s acquittal of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa in the disproportionate assets (DA) case to become “final” by not appealing against it in the Supreme Court. Special Public Prosecutor BV Acharya had made it public that Karnataka must go for an appeal against HC verdict on DA case where in TN Chief Minister was acquitted.

The State law Department had asked the A-G whether sanction from the “competent authority” was required to file the appeal, and whether consent from the High Court’s Chief Justice was needed to appoint a special counsel to argue the case before the apex court. The Advocate-General said that no sanction was necessary from any authority as it was the constitutional right of the government to file an appeal, and consent from the Chief Justice to appoint special counsel was also not needed as the State had the power to do so under the Karnataka law Officers (Appointment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 1977.

In the May 11 verdict the Karnataka HC acquitted her  of “all charges” in the 19-year-old disproportionate assets case. Three others including her close aide Sasikala Natarajan, were also given a clean chit by the High Court.