BANGALORE: The High Court on Tuesday directed the Lokayukta police to resume investigations into scandals involving B S Yeddyurappa, former chief minister and now the BJP’s national vice-president.
Justice Anand Byrareddy gave the green signal for inquiries in four petitions, setting aside an earlier order by a Shimoga Lokayukta court. The Shimoga court had stayed the investigation on the grounds that the petitioner, B Vinod Kumar, had not obtained the necessary sanctions from the competent authorities. Vinod Kumar had later filed an appeal before the High Court, challenging the Shimoga court order. The High Court on Tuesday allowed all four criminal revision petitions.
Housing Board Sites
The first case relates to Yeddyurappa allegely misusing his office as deputy chief minister between 2006 and ‘07 to acquire assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
The case also names his MLA-son B S Raghavendra, and relates to the alleged purchase of land in violation of the Karnataka Land Reforms Act of 1968.
The complaint names Yeddyurappa, his daughter S Y Arunadevi and six other officials. The Karnataka Housing Board sanctioned residential plots to employees working in educational institutions run by Yeddyurappa in Kalahalli, Shimoga.
A second complaint alleges Yeddyurappa and Raghavendra bought 69 acres near the Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary by using a front in 2009 when he was chief minister. Later his men allegedly grabbed 15 more acres. Later, the property was allegedly transferred to Dhavalagiri Properties owned by Yeddyurappa’s sons, B Y Raghavendra and B Y Vijayendra, and son-in-law RN Sohan Kumar.
A third complaint against Meera C Saxsena, then principal secretary of forests, environment and ecology, and M Nagaraj Hampole, then secretary of the Forest Department, alleges they failed to check the encroachment.
The High Court also allowed another petition and directed the Lokayukta police to continue their investigations into an assets case against senior BJP leader K S Eshwarappa, who had also held the position of deputy chief minister. It was alleged that his assets grew thousand-fold between 2006 and 2010.
BSY confident
Former Chief Minster B S Yeddyurappa has welcomed the High Court order and said that he will emerge without any blemish. “Someone has filed false cases against my family members. Let the legal procedure take its course. I am confident of emerging clean from these charges,” he said.