Illegal mining: Probe against SM Krishna stayed

The Karnataka High Court Thursday stayed for four weeks a police probe into the alleged role of External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna in allowing illegal mining when he was the chief minister from 1999-2004.

Justice BV Pinto ordered the stay on a petition by Krishna to dismiss the case against him registered in the Lokayukta (ombudsman) court here.

Krishna filed the petition Dec 9 after police registered a first information report (FIR) to launch the probe into his alleged role.

The FIR was registered on the direction of Lokayukta court Judge N.K. Sudhindra Rao with whom Bangalore businessman T.J. Abraham filed a complaint against Krishna, two other former chief ministers and 11 serving and retired senior officials.

Krishna said in his petition that he had not committed "any illegality or irregularity" regarding mining when he was the chief minister.