BENGALURU: IN what is viewed as a tit-for-tat move, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) registered two First Information Reports (FIR) against former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa in a land denotification case. Four officials of the Urban Development Department during Yeddyurappa’s tenure as Chief
Minister were also named in the FIRs.
The FIRs that were registered by the Bengaluru City branch of ACB on August 10 came to light on Thursday. A senior police official said that two FIRs were registered under Sections 7, 8, 13(1)(c)(d) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Sections 406, 420 and 120(B) of IPC, based on the complaint filed by Dr D Ayyappa, former vice-chancellor of a private university.
According to the FIR, Yeddyurappa passed 20 orders to denotify total land to the extent of 250 acres acquired for Dr Shivarama Karanth Layout in Bengaluru North Taluk, when he was chief minister between 2009-12. The cases were registered on August 10, after ACB found prima facie evidence in preliminary investigation into the complaint.
Number of FIRs may go up
The number of FIRs may go up as and when the ACB finds prima facie evidence in 18 other orders passed by the then chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, an official said.
After I-T raids on Energy Minister D K Shivakumar and his relatives, there was a buzz in political circles that BJP leaders may come under the radar of state agencies.
Congress had accused the BJP government at the Centre of using I-T department to target Congress leaders. I-T raids on Shivakumar’s residences were conducted when Gujarat Congress MLAs were camping in the city ahead of Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat. Timing of these FIRs is likely to raise many eyebrows as the BJP is launching a state -wide agitation demanding resignation of Shivakumar. ACB officials were unavailable for comment.