BENGALURU: In some relief to senior BJP leader R Ashoka, the High Court on Thursday stayed the probe against him in connection with an FIR registered by the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) in the bagair hukum land scam case.
Observing that there is grounds for staying the probe, Justice R B Budihal passed the interim order after hearing the petition filed by Ashoka challenging the FIR. The court, however, said the stay will be in effect till March 31, the deadline fixed for disposal of the case.
While passing the order, the court observed that ACB had violated its earlier orders in registration of FIR against the accused. The court also made it clear that there is no bar on courts from staying the investigation in cases registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act, but they are prohibited from staying the trial after completion of framing of charges against the accused in such cases.
According to the FIR registered by the ACB, Ashoka, who was then chairman of Bengaluru South Taluk Bagair Hukum Land Regularisation Committee from 1998 to 2006 and Uttarahalli constituency MLA, was also one of the beneficiaries of the scam. The ACB contended that prima facie there is strong case against the Ashoka. However, Ashoka claimed that the complaint is politically motivated and FIR was registered only to settle the political scores ahead of the assembly elections.
The court also stayed the probe against one B Karthik, one of the beneficiaries of the regularisation of the land by the committee. Further hearing will be held on March 5. Government officials and others were also named in the FIR registered by the ACB under Sections 13(1)(c), 13(1)(d) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act and 420 and 120 (b) of IPC.