BENGALURU: After H D Kumaraswamy, who is appearing before Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Thursday, will more big shots be summoned by SIT over the illegal mining scam? This is the question doing the rounds in the corridors of power.
Former CMs S M Krishna, N Dharam Singh and 11 bureaucrats are among the 14 persons against whom SIT had re-registered an FIR.
According to the FIR re-registered in April, Krishna, Dharam Singh and Kumaraswamy are the first three accused. Bureaucrats Ganga Ram Baderiya, Basappa Reddy, I R Perumal, Jija Harisingh, Mahendra Jain and K S Manjunath are among those who figure in the list.
Krishna has been accused of allowing denotification of forest land for mining. He had defended it as a collective decision taken in the cabinet, and not as an individual decision. He has obtained a stay from the Supreme Court in the case. So SIT may not proceed against him.
Dharam Singh has been accused of allowing mining in agricultural ‘patta’ land. The bureaucrats have been accused of causing loss to the tune of several crores to the state’s exchequer while working in different capacities. “Right now, we are recording Baderiya’s statement. Depending on the outcome of his interrogation, we will know the amount of time needed for the probe. We will also issue summons to other accused,” a senior SIT official said.
On March 29, the SC had fixed a three-month deadline for the investigation. “It has already been one and half months since the SC order. It is difficult to complete the probe in the remaining period. Therefore, SIT may request SC to extend the deadline,” a police official said.