A private complaint was filed by a landowner named Vasudev Reddy and it was investigated by the Karnataka Lokayukta.
Former chief minister BS Yediyurappa is set to face fresh trouble in the coming days with a special court in Bengaluru that deals with criminal cases related to elected public representatives ordering the registration of a corruption case against him in connection with a land denotification case. The matter pertains to 2006-07 when Yediyurappa was the deputy chief minister.
A private complaint was filed by a landowner named Vasudev Reddy and it was investigated by the Karnataka Lokayukta. “Register a Special Criminal Case against the accused No 2 Sri B.S. Yediyurappa for offences punishable under Sec. 13(1)(d) r/w Sec. 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988,” ordered the special court.
Dealing with the case, special judge Jayanta Kumar said on March 26 the court was of the opinion that there was nothing on record to disbelieve the case as the complainant had made out a prima facie case against the accused.
“I am of the considered opinion that there is sufficient material to proceed against the accused by registering a Special Criminal Case and summoning accused No 2 and to give an opportunity to the complainant to establish his allegations,” said the judge.
The case is related to the acquisition of private land by the then ruling BJP-JDS government for setting up an information technology park in Bengaluru. However, the acquired land was allegedly denotified illegally and later handed over to private parties causing a loss not only to the state but also to the original landowners.
However, the court noted prima facie it cannot be said that de-notification was ordered by Yediyurappa in ‘exercise of lawful powers vested in him’, reported The Indian Express.
Earlier, the Karnataka Lokayukta police had filed a closure report in the case saying that no payment of illegal gratification was made to Yediyurappa for denotification of the land and noted that there was no evidence to file a charge sheet against the former chief minister. The closure was challenged on behalf of the original complainant, Vasudev Reddy.
In July 2021, the special court had rejected the police investigation report saying that the police did not conduct a proper investigation. The corruption case against Yediyurappa was taken up by the Lokayukta police in February 2015 while the complaint was filed in 2013.
Yediyurappa had made an unsuccessful attempt by approaching the Karnataka High Court in 2019 with a plea to quash the FIR.
