Bengaluru: Former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa won a reprieve today from the Supreme Court, which put on hold criminal proceedings in a corruption case against him.
The Karnataka High Court had earlier refused to cancel an FIR (First Information Report) registered against Mr Yediyurappa, 79, in a land allocation scam.
The senior BJP leader is accused of releasing acres of land acquired by the state government and illegally allotting the land to entrepreneurs in 2006-7, when he was Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka. A case was registered against him under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
In 2020, the High Court rejected his request that the FIR registered by the Karnataka Lokayukta police be cancelled. High Court judge John Michael Cunha reprimanded the police for delaying the investigation and said, "The circumstances clearly indicate the delay is intentional and deliberate."
The FIR was registered in 2013 after a police complaint against Mr Yediyurappa.
The complaint said the Karnataka government had acquired more than 400 acres of land in Bellandur, Devarabeesanahalli and other areas to develop an Information Technology park but Mr Yediyurappa released parts of that land to private owners.
The Karnataka anti-corruption watchdog, the Lokayukta, said in its report that there was "no payment of bribe" to Mr Yediyurappa and there was no material or evidence to file a chargesheet against him.
The report was rejected by a special court.
Mr Yediyurappa then approached the High Court asking that the FIR against him be cancelled, as it had been in the case involving another accused, Congress's RV Deshpande. But his request was rejected.
The BJP leader has argued in court that there was no corruption involved, that he had not abused his position for money and that his actions were within his administrative powers.
Courtesy: www.ndtv.com
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DMK seeks separate seating in Lok Sabha after split with Congress alliance
New Delhi: Kanimozhi Karunanidhi has written to the Lok Sabha Speaker seeking a separate seating arrangement for Members of Parliament belonging to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) following the end of the party’s alliance with the Indian National Congress.
In a letter dated May 7 addressed to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Kanimozhi said the changed political situation made it inappropriate for DMK MPs to continue sitting alongside Congress members in the House.
She requested the Speaker to make “suitable changes” in the seating arrangement of the DMK Parliamentary Party and allot separate seating for its MPs.
“In view of the changed political circumstances and as our alliance with the Indian National Congress has come to an end, it may not be appropriate for our Members to continue occupying the present seating arrangement alongside them in the House,” the letter stated.
Kanimozhi further said separate seating would help DMK members effectively discharge their responsibilities in the Lok Sabha.
