BENGALURU: A city court has directed Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister H N Ananth Kumar and BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa to appear before the police officer investigating a case of alleged conspiracy to destabilise the state government, and to give their voice samples.
The case against the BJP leaders was filed after they were reportedly overheard discussing the contents of a diary seized by Income Tax officials from a Congress MLC’s residence in the city. The diary is said to have notings about payments made to Congress high command by ministers in the state. A CD of the purported conversation between Yeddyurappa and Ananth Kumar was released by Congress leaders who had accused the BJP leaders of trying to destabilise the government.
In the conversation, Ananth Kumar is allegedly heard asking Yeddyurappa to keep the diary issue alive till the next Assembly election as its contents were quite explosive. The two leaders are also heard speaking about having made similar payments to their own (BJP) national leaders when the party was in power in Karnataka.
Additional Commissioner of Police (East) Hemanth Nimbalkar is the complainant. To proceed with the case, police required voice sample of the two leaders to compare it with audio on the CD.
“The court was asking the police about the progress in the case, but the BJP leaders were refusing to accept the police notices seeking voice samples. Police officials were sent back twice so we had to approach the court seeking directions to the two leaders to cooperate with the probe,’’ said an officer.
On Saturday, the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate issued orders directing the two leaders to give their voice samples. “You are hereby directed to appear before the Investigation Officer to give your voice sample within seven days from the date (April 6) of this order,’’ the court stated.