The district administration has, it seems, shielded Medical Education Minister S A Ramdas from an alleged land scam with the City Crime Branch (CCB) submitting a ‘B’ report in the 5th AFM and JMF Court recently.
The administration has not provided supporting evidence required for prosecution despite repeated requests by the investigating agency. The 165-page ‘B’ report accessed by Express, stated that there was a lack of evidence to proceed against Ramdas.
Earlier on June 2, 2010, the then deputy commissioner informed the CCB that he did not receive any government order to take action against Ramdas in the case.
The ‘B’ report says though the DC has powers to take action against Ramdas for violating the Karnataka Land Revenue Act and the Urban Land Ceiling Act for the distribution sites without sanction and illegal approval of plans, he has not exercised his powers.
The district administration which had earlier asked the CCB not to submit the ‘B’ report and sought a copy of the report, withdrew its order as it “has no objection to filing the report”.
This comes after the CCB issued a notice to the district administration to provide supporting evidence in the form of land records on July 6, 2009.
On August 10, 2009, the then additional DC sought the chief administrator of the District Principal and Sessions Court to give three months’ time to submit all records.
Later, he said the administration had no objection to the filing of ‘B’ report.
Ramdas told CCB, “I have not encroached upon land owned by the government or local authority or illegally converted the government land into sites. ” Assistant Commissioner of Police (CCB) Shashikumar said as the case lacked evidence it forced them to submit a ‘B’ report
CASE HISTORY
■ A complaint was filed by Snehamayi Krishna, editor of a local fortnightly, when Ramdas filed his nomination papers from the KR Constituency.
He alleged that Ramdas had sold more than 90 sites after converting them illegally in Malalawadi village in Mysore taluk.
It was also quoted in the T M Vijay Bhaskar report ■ On April 19, 2008, the case was handed over to the city police by the district administration ■ The city police handed over the case to the then CCB ACP M Nagaraja on October 30, 2010 ■ After Nagaraja was transferred, ACP Shashikumar took charge of the investigation on June 4, 2011