Karnataka high court to hear Yeddyurappa’s land case today

The final hearing on the case challenging the lok ayukta special court order to probe allegations of land scams against chief minister BS Yeddyurappa will continue on June 14. On Monday, justice KN Keshavnarayana adjourned the case to Tuesday.

Appearing for the applicant, advocate Sirajin Basha, CH Hanumantharayappa contended that the sanction was obtained to prosecute the chief minister and complaints were filed in the court subsequently, in accordance with the law. The contention that the sanction was obtained for prosecuting the chief minister in one case is not tenable, he argued, because the two advocates (Sirajin Basha and KN Balaraj) had applied, and the governor had accorded sanction to both of them. Moreover, the complaints are filed for similar offences. As two complainants cannot register a private complaint, one of the advocates registered the complaint, while the other served as a witness.

Fifteen incidents of offences were clubbed into five complaints under the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code, and the chief minister is the common accused in all the five complaints.

The chief minister’s two sons, his son-in-law Sohan Kumar and his aide Krishnaiah Shetty figure in four complaints.

Earlier, Sohan Kumar had filed a writ petition in the high court challenging the February 26 Lokayukta order to inquire into the allegations against the chief minister and members of the his family over land scams. The court  stayed the Lokayukta special court’s order.  Advocate Sirajin Basha then moved the Supreme Court challenging the high court order of granting a stay.