Court slams slow investigation in corruption case involving Yediyurappa and Vijayendra
Bengaluru: The Special Court of People's Representatives has expressed displeasure over the lack of progress in the investigation of corruption allegations against former Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and BJP State President B.Y. Vijayendra. Despite the case being under investigation for over two years, the court noted that the Lokayukta police have failed to provide substantial updates.
The court's frustration was evident as Lokayukta investigators appeared to explain the situation in response to a show cause notice. The investigation, which has been primarily focused on shell companies, has seen little advancement, according to the court. The Special Court took issue with the investigating officer, DySP Satish M.H., for his inadequate progress in the case.
The case involves allegations of corruption in a Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) apartment tender, where Rs. 8.41 crores were allegedly funneled through fake companies. B.S. Yediyurappa's grandson, Shashidhar Maradi, has been accused of facilitating these transfers. Other individuals named in the private complaint include B.Y. Vijayendra, Shashidhar Maradi, Sanjay Shri, Chandrakanta Ramalingam, S.T. Somasekhar, Dr. G.C. Prakash, K. Ravi, and Virupakshappa Yamakanamaradi. The complaint was filed by social activist T.J. Abraham.
The allegations centre on the misuse of authority to grant a housing project contract to Ramalingam Construction Company, allegedly in exchange for bribes. In September 2022, the Special Court ordered the Lokayukta Police Inspector to file an FIR against Yediyurappa and others, and to investigate the claims of bribes being funneled through cash and shell companies.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
