High Court posts Yeddyurappa's pre-arrest bail plea to Jan 16 for order

The Karnataka High Court today posted for orders the anticipatory bail applications of former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa and state Housing Minister V Somanna to January 16.

This prevented their arrest in connection with an FIR against them in an alleged land scam case.

Justice Subhash B Adi posted the matter for orders after conclusion of arguments by both sides. Besides, Yeddyurappa and Somanna, the latter's wife has also sought the relief.

The FIR was filed on November 26 after Lok Ayukta Judge NK Sudhindra Rao directed Lok Ayukta Police to conduct a probe into a private complaint and submit its report.

Complainant Ravi Krishnareddy has alleged that Somanna secured denotification of 22 guntas (one gunta is about 1,086 square feet) of land in Nagadevanahalli in Kengeri Hobli for an educational institution run by his wife Shailaja in violation of rules when Yeddyurappa was the chief minister.

Counsels for Yeddyurappa and Somanna, Ashok Haranahally, Murthy Dayanand Naik and Krishna Kumar submitted allegations made out out in the complaint against the accused did not constitute any offence as denotification by itself does not amount to a criminal offence.

Earlier, the court sought clarification on whether an order of denotification can be passed after issue of final notification acquiring land by the competent authority and whether the complainant has mentioned actions that constitute offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act and IPC.

Reddy has alleged that Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) had acquired the land in 1998 and Yeddyurappa ordered for denotification in 2009.