BANGALORE: The Karnataka High Court today extended its stay till January 19 on Lokayukta Court proceedings and further probe by police in the case filed against state Assembly Speaker K G Bopaiah for alleged misuse of funds in a lake development project.
When the petition filed by Bopaiah seeking quashing of the FIR in the case came up before Justice N Ananda, he extended the interim stay and adjourned the case for final hearing on January 19.
Earlier, the court ordered issue of notice to Lokayukta police in the case.
On December 19 last, Justice B V Pinto had granted the stay for four weeks.
Bopaiah had sought quashing of the FIR on grounds including that no prior sanction was sought for doing so from the concerned authorities (in this case, Governor).
On a direction from Lokayukta Court, the Lokayukta police in Madikeri on December 8 filed an FIR against Bopaiah and three other government officials in a complaint by a Congress member Saritha Poonacha alleging "misuse" of funds sanctioned for lake contruction in Titimathi, about 60 km from here.
Apart from Bopaiah, the other three named in the FIR are: Zilla Panchayat Member S N Raja Rao, Kodagu Nirmiti Kendra Project Managerr Yoga Narasimha, ZP CEO N Krishnappa.
Meanwhile, Justice Subhash B Adi adjourned further hearing to January 20, the anticipatory bail applications filed by the other three accused in the case.
The FIR was filed in pursuant of the directions of the District and Sessions Judge, Ashok Nijagannanavar, also the judge of the Special Court for prevention of corruption cases.