Raj Bhavan has asked Lok Ayukta police to initiate criminal proceedings against the outgoing chief minister.
There is more trouble for outgoing chief minister BS Yeddyurappa in the days ahead as governor HR Bhardwaj on Wednesday accorded sanction for initiating criminal proceedings against him in accordance with the recommendations of the Lokayukta report on illegal mining.
In a brief communiqué issued by the Raj Bhavan on Wednesday morning, just before the swearing-in ceremony of justice Shivaraj V Patil as the new Lokayukta, the Governor said that he had accepted the Lokayukta report which had indicted Yeddyurappa in cases of receiving illegal gratification in the form of huge donations to Prerana Trust floated by his sons and son-in-law from a mining company.
“His excellency the governor of Karnataka and competent authority under the Karnataka Lokayukta Act, having carefully examined the report of the hon’ble Lokayukta along with relevant annexures, with reference to the provisions of the Karnataka Lokayukta Act, 1994 and Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, accepted the findings and recommendation of hon’ble Lokayukta in Chapter 22 of the report for initiating criminal proceedings against BS Yeddyurappa, chief minister of Karnataka,” the communiqué said.
Bhardwaj also stated that Lokayukta may take further necessary action through the Lokayukta police. The decision of the competent authority has been forwarded to the registrar, Karnataka Lokayukta for placing it before the Lokayukta.
The governor’s nod enables the Lokayukta police to file FIR against Yeddyurappa before the Lokayukta special court. “Now there will be no escape for Yeddyurappa from being summoned to the witness box to defend himself,’ said Datta, welcoming the governor’s decision.
CM’s count: The third case
The governor’s decision takes the number of criminal cases being investigated by the Lok Ayukta against the chief minister to three.
The Lok Ayukta special court is already probing the illegal land transactions case against the chief minister and his family members filed by lawyers Sirajin Basha and Balaraj.
Apart from this, JD(S) MLC YSV Datta has filed a criminal case against the chief minister alleging huge irregularities in the
Upper Bhadra project.
Prosecution is subject to findings: Governor
“The Lok Ayukta has submitted a copy of his probe report on illegal mining to me and I have accepted it as I am the competent authority,” governor Hans Raj Bhardwaj told reporters after administering the oath of office to new ombudsman, retired judge Shivaraj V Patil.
Justice Patil’s predecessor, justice N Santosh Hegde, had recommended the prosecution of Yeddyurappa, four cabinet ministers and several officers under the Prevention of Corruption Act. “I have also directed the Lok Ayukta to conduct a police investigation against Yeddyurappa and submit a report to me at the earliest. Prosecution will be on the basis of the police investigation. It is now up to the new Lok Ayukta to go ahead with the investigation,” an IANS report quoted the governor as saying.
The Lok Ayukta had said that the South West Company, a subsidiary of Jindal Steel Works (JSW), had donated Rs10 crore to Prerana Trust, which was run by Yeddyurappa’s family members, even as three applications from JSW for mining leases in Bellary district was pending with the state government.
The LokAyukta had also cited the instance of Yeddyurappa’s sons, BY Vijayendra and BY Ragahvendra, selling one acre land at Rachenahalli near the Bangalore airport to South West Company for Rs20 crore while the market value was only Rs1.40 crore.
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