Monday, May 9 2005 19:18 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bangalore: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has drafted senior Supreme Court advocate K T S Tulsi, who was the prosecuting lawyer in the Shankaracharya case, as her counsel in the high-profile Rs 66.65 crore disproportionate wealth case and the London Hotels case against her in the Special Court in Bangalore.

Kavi Tejpal Singh Tulsi made his first appearance today (May 9, 2005) in the court of Special Judge A S Pachchpure and presented arguments on an application filed by her, seeking clubbing of the two cases and consolidation of the trial into one.

Tulsi, who argued for nearly three hours, sought adjournment of the hearing to May 16, citing his engagements in the Kerala High Court tomorrow and Supreme Court this week, a ground that annoyed the Judge, who initially insisted that he would not do so.

Tulsi and the other defence counsel N Jothi submitted that the Court needed to be accommodative.

Judge Pachchpure said he can go on adjourning the hearing. "Cases have been pending for many years and the public is fed up of litigation," he observed.

As the Judge adjourned hearing for 3 PM after the lunch break, the defence counsel repeatedly pleaded with him for adjournment till May 16 and assured him cooperation for day-to-day hearings from that day. A clearly annoyed Judge then posted the cases for further hearing on May 16.