Lokayukta had clinching evidence against Yeddyurappa, sons receiving “bribes”: Justice Hegde
Bengaluru: Former Lokayukta Justice N. Santosh Hegde, is “saddened” that the BJP has nominated BS Yeddyurappa, against whom Hegde had prepeared a voluminous report on illegal iron ore mining in 2011, as its chief ministerial candidate.
The former judge of the Supreme Court, in a recent interview with News Click and The Wire, said that he and his officers in the Lokayukta had found “foolproof” and clinching evidence against Yeddyurappa and his sons receiving “bribes” from mining companies and granting them illegal favours.
He expressed his unhappiness that the state government and other law-enforcing agencies had not diligently pursued the cases against the former chief minister and his family members and rued the way in which the faith of ordinary people in the criminal justice system had been eroded.
“We had enough proof that he received Rs 19-20 crore from a company called South West Mining Company which had absolutely no capital. It received (the money) one day, Rs 20 crore starting from the account of Jindal Steel Toranagallu, Bellary, which moved into three or four benami accounts… and landed in the account of South West Mining Company. Out of that Rs 20 crore, Rs 10 crore by cheque was purportedly donated to an education trust in a neighbouring district called Shimoga, which is wholly owned by Yeddyurappa and family,” he said replying to a question.
“For a public servant to receive such a huge gift, according to me, is contrary to law, the disciplinary rules as well as the fact that the file was then pending with Yeddyurappa. As a chief minister he had the mining portfolio with him and received Rs 10 crore as donation which, according to me, shows that money was paid not as a donation but for considerations for showing favours in the mining application,” Mr. Hegde added.
He also said that the state government and the law-enforcing agencies failed to pursue the corruption cases against Yeddyurappa and his family members. He also rued the way in which the faith of ordinary people is being eroded.
It can be recalled that the then chief minister, B S Yeddyurappa had to step down from his post after the submission of final report by the Lokayukta. He had become the first serving CM to go to jail.
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Manmohan Singh saved India from economic crisis and debt trap: Deve Gowda
Bengaluru (PTI): Terming former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's death a "great loss" for the nation, JDS supremo H D Deve Gowda on Friday credited him with "saving the country" from an economic crisis and preventing it from falling into a "debt trap".
The former Prime Minister described Singh as a simple, honest, and gentlemanly figure. Manmohan Singh, the architect of India's economic reforms, passed away in New Delhi on Thursday night at the age of 92.
Manmohan Singh served as the Finance Minister in the Narasimha Rao government in 1991, during one of the most critical economic periods in the country's history. He took on the responsibility and did his utmost to save the nation from the economic crises, Gowda said.
Speaking to reporters, he said otherwise, the country would have fallen into a debt trap. "Such was the severity of the situation. To address this, the Narasimha Rao government with Singh as the Finance Minister made the decision to pledge 130 tonnes of gold."
Singh then introduced economic reforms such as liberalisation, privatisation, and foreign direct investment, Gowda said, adding that all these initiatives were implemented by him as Finance Minister under Prime Minister Narasimha Rao.
Manmohan Singh was a distinguished economist who worked at the World Bank, served as the Reserve Bank Governor, and acted as an advisor to the Government of India. With his vast experience, he went on to serve the nation for ten years as Prime Minister. His death is a great loss to the nation, he added.
