Bangalore: Countdown Begins for Yeddyurappa's Arrest
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Oct 15: With the special Lokayukta court issuing arrest warrant against former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa after rejecting his bail plea on Saturday October 15, it is now likely that he may be arrested any time soon, may be in the next one or two hours.
Two Lokayukata DYSPs are already on the way to Yeddyurappa's house in Race Course road armed with the warrant.
Meanwhile, his lawyer told reporters that he would ask the court to exempt Yeddyurappa from arrest.
A special Lokayukta court on Saturday October 15 rejected his bail plea and issued an arrest warrant against him. His sons Raghavendra and Vijayendra and son-in-law Sohan Kumar, however, were given conditional bail.
Yeddyurappa skipped court citing ill health, but his sons and Sohan Kumar were present. The verdict was given by judge N K Sudhindra Rao.
The judge also rejected the bail plea of former minister S N Krishnaiah Shetty and ordered his arrest.
Yeddyurappa has been facing charges of illegally denotifying land for monetary gains in two cases, filed by advocates Sirajin Bhasha and N K Balaraj in January this year.
Earlier, governor H R Bhardwaj had given the advocates the green signal to go ahead with criminal proceedings against the former chief minister and his family.
In July, Santosh Hegde, who was the Lokyukta then named him and several others including JD(S) chief Kumaraswamy in the illegal mining report. Yeddyurappa quit soon after following some high drama and gave way to Sadananda Gowda who was chosen through votes.
Hearing Yeddyurappa's two petitions, justice Patil on September 30 had stayed the Lokayukta court proceedings. But on an appeal by Basha, a division bench vacated the stay on October 4.
In his September 30 order, justice Patil took serious objection to the conduct of the complainant and his counsel Hazmath Pasha who sought further time despite five days of arguments. The counsel was not "only abusing the process of law" but "trying to protract the proceedings, he had observed.
In his affidavit, Basha submitted "certain instances have transpired in the connected writ petitions" and said "unreal facts of delaying tactics" was taken as the basis for grant of stay.
"Therefore, I am deeply hurt and feel that the decision in the writ petitions be rendered by any other judge than your Lordship," Basha submitted.
In another twist, counsel Pasha told the court on Friday that the affidavit seeking change of judge has been filed without his knowledge and sought to retire from the case.
Justice Patil said he would pass the necessary orders on the affidavit on Saturday.
With Agency Inputs