Bangalore: Yeddyurappa Surrenders, Sent to Judicial Custody
Bangalore, Oct 15 (PTI): Former Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa surrendered before a local court after he was denied bail in two cases of corruption. He was arrested and sent to jail.
Yeddyurappa, the Bharatiya Janata Party's first chief minister in south India, quit in July over graft charges. He was jailed after a trial court rejected his bail plea in two cases of corruption and ordered his arrest.
He has been sent to Judicial custody till October 22.
DYSP Lokayukta Abdul Wahab
Yeddyurappa, who was largely responsible for bringing the BJP to power in the state, was taken to Bangalore's main jail at Parappana Agrahara in eastern part of the city late Saturday afternoon.
In the jail, Yeddyurappa will have the company of his former ministerial colleagues Katta Subramanaya Naidu and S.N. Krishnaiah Shetty.
Shetty was also arrested Saturday as his bail plea in the two cases was rejected.
High drama, confusion and speculation on whereabouts of former Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa unfolded here Saturday as police arrived at his residence to arrest him in two graft cases, but did not find him there.
Scores of media personnel from both print and electronic media, police personnel and curious onlookers gathered outside Yeddyurappa’s residence on Race Course Road in city centre since morning as court verdict on his bail plea was to come Saturday.
He sought exemption from personal appearance on the ground that he was suffering from back pain.
Almost three hours after Rao directed Yeddyurappa’s arrest, police reached the Race Course Road house with the arrest warrant.
Within minutes, word spread that they did not find Yeddyurappa at the place, flummoxing the media horde which had camped outside.
A speculation was Yeddyurappa was seeking time in the hope of moving the high court to seek stay on the arrest warrant issued by the Lokayukta special court.
Earlier today, a Lokayukta court rejected Yeddyurappa's bail plea and issued arrest warrant against him in two cases relating to alleged land scams.
Another accused, former minister S N Krishnaiah Shetty, was sent to judicial custody till October 22 by Lokayukta special judge N K Sudhindra Rao, who granted relief to Yeddyurappa's sons, B Y Raghavendra, MP, and B Y Vijendra as also his son-in-law Sohan Kumar and BJP MLA Hemachandra Sagar and ten others.
Reading out his order in a packed court, the judge said he has rejected the bail pleas of Yeddyurappa and Setty but allowed those of 14 others.
This is the first time in Karnataka's history that a former chief minister has been issued an arrest warrant.
Krishnaiah Shetty collapses in court
The court also rejected the applications moved by Yeddyurappa seeking exemption from personal appearance on grounds that he was suffering from severe back pain and unable to take the stairs.
The court verdict comes as an embarrassment to the BJP especially when BJP President L K Advani is on a nationwide yatra to highlight alleged corruption in the UPA government.
Yeddyurappa and others have been named as accused in two private complaints filed by advocate Sirajin Basha for alleged irregularities in denotification of lands.
Yeddyurappa's family members were directed to furnish a bond for Rs five lakh and Rs 10 lakh as surety in the two cases for their bail and also submit to the court chartered accountant certified copies of the bank accounts of Davalagiri Properties and Adarsh Homes Pvt Limited owned by them.
The court directed the remaining accused enlarged on bail to furnish a bond for Rs five lakh and slapped conditions that they should not tamper with evidence and not make any attempt to flee the country.
Shetty collapsed as the court pronounced the order, while Yeddyurappa skipped the proceedings citing health reasons.
Seeing Shetty's condition, the judge directed officials to provide proper treatment before taking him to jail.
Yeddyurappa, who steered the party to victory to install the first BJP government in the south, quit as chief minister after being indicted by Lokayukta report on illegal mining in July.
Minutes after learning about the court order, Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda cancelled his trip to Mumbai and was closetted with some of his ministerial colleagues, including Home Minister R Ashoka.
Basha has alleged Yeddyurappa denotified lands in Arakere, Agara, Devarachikkanahalli, Geddalahalli in favour of the accused causing huge losses to the state exchequer.
Ravi B Naik, Yeddyurappa's counsel said, the former chief minister would challenge the Lokayukta court order in the High Court. Yeddyurappa would also seek bail from the High Court.
Naik said Yeddyurappa would surrender before the Lokayukta court if the High Court asks him to do so.
The chief minister also summoned City Police Commissioner Jyoti Prakash Mirji and state's Intelligence wing chief Gopal Hosur for discussions.
People gathered in large number outside Yeddyurappa's Race Course residence as a police team entered with the arrest warrant. (With IANS inputs)