Speaker Bopaiah under Lokayukta police scanner

The list of BJP leaders being probed is growing with investigations now beginning against speaker KG Bopaiah over misuse of funds.

The Lok Ayukta police, on Thursday, registered an FIR against Bopaiah at Madikeri. Bopaiah allegedly misused Rs40 lakh meant for development of a lake in the district in 2006-07. Bopaiah is from Virajpet constituency in the district.

The Lok Ayukta police registered the FIR against Bopaiah on the directive of the district and sessions judge Ashok Nijagannanavar on a complaint filed by Congress zilla parishad member Saritha Poonacha on December 2.

Bopaiah is also facing a no-trust motion moved by the Congress on the ground that he has not been impartial in conducting the assembly proceedings. The motion is likely to be discussed in the assembly on December 14 or 15, according to Bopaiah.

Bopaiah is the eighth BJP leader in Karnataka to be investigated by the Lokayukta police. The list is headed by former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, who quit on July 31 following indictment in the illegal mining scam.

The others include former ministers Katta Subramanya Naidu and SN Krishnaiah Setty and present ministers R Ashoka, Murugesh Nirani and V Somanna. Former minister Gali Janardhana Reddy has been in Hyderabad's jail since September 5 in connection with an illegal mining case in Andhra Pradesh.
(With inputs from IANS)KG Bopaiah