BANGALORE, Dec 15:
The Lokayukta court today adjourned to January 24 next year three cases against former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and some of his family members over alleged irregularities in awarding contracts for an irrigation project and denotification of lands.
Besides Yeddyurappa, his son B Y Vijendra, son-in-law Sohan Kumar and other accused appeared in court, but his other son Raghavendra, a Lok Sabha member, was absent.
In the Upper Bhadra Irrigation project, the High Court had granted anticipatory bail to Yeddyurappa’s two sons and Sohan Kumar. In the first land denotification case, all were given anticipatory bail and in the third, Yeddyurappa and Raghavendra were granted relief.
Judge N K Sudhindra Rao adjourned all cases to Jan 24 after accepting copies of the High Court orders.
In the irrigation case, JDS spokesperson Y S V Dutta had filed a complaint alleging that Yeddyurappa had received Rs 16 crore kickback to award the second stage to RNS Infrastructure Limited and Jyothi Limited though the joint venture firm was the highest bidder.
The court had on Nov 28 granted anticipatory bail to Yeddyurappa’s two sons and son-in-law.
On May 26, the Lokayukta Court had rejected the Lokayukta police report and directed it to probe charges against Yeddyurappa, Dhavalagiri Properties, a firm in which his two sons and son-in-law are proprietors), Sahyadri Healthcare and Murdeshwar Enterprises and submit its report.
On Sept 21, it ordered issuance of notice to Dutta and Lokayuta police on a criminal petition by Yeddyurappa and Dhavalagiri Properties, seeking quashing of the Sept 4 order on summoning Yeddyurappa and others.
The second case pertains to alleged illegal denotification of prime land when Yeddyurappa was Chief Minister during the period 2008-10.
Advocate Sirajin Basha had filed five complaints against him, listing illegal denotification, land scam and corruption when he was Chief Minister.
He alleged Yeddyurappa and former minister Krishnaiah Shetty had denotified lands at Rachenahalli, originally acquired by Bangalore Development Authority to build a Housing colony. It was sold to Raghavendra who in turn sold it at an exorbitant price to a Jindal Group Mining company, he said.
He alleged that Yeddyurappa and his family received Rs 20 crore for the land against the market value of about Rs one crore. The deal was also quoted in the illegal mining report submitted by former Lokayukta N Santosh Hegde.
The High Court had granted bail to all of them in the case.
The last case pertains to a private complaint before the Lokayukta court, alleging illegal denotification of lands in Bhadravathi and Shimoga.
Complainant Vinod had alleged that Yeddyurappa abused his position and denotified 69 acres at Bhadravathi in 2010 and two months later got them transferred to a firm.
He alleged that more than 250 acres of forest land at Reserve Forest in Bhadravathi was denotified between 2010-11 and Yeddyurappa had amassed disproportionate assets. (PTI)
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