Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)
Bengaluru, Aug 24: Former chief minister and state BJP president, B S Yeddyurappa, who was facing a number of complaints of illegal denotification of land in Dr Shivaram Karanth extension in the city, got some relief from the high court (HC), when the case came up for hearing on Wednesday August 23.
The HC, which heard writ petitions filed by Yeddyurappa seeking to quash first information reports (FIR) prepared against him by Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB), asked the concerned not to undertake any legal proceedings or arrest the petitioner till further hearing.
Senior advocate, C V Nagesh, in his lengthy presentation on behalf of Yeddyurappa, claimed that two FIRs had been registered by ACB against his client illegally although there are no preliminary documents supporting the cases. "These FIRs are politically motivated. Yeddyurappa has been served with summons to present himself before ACB on August 24," he informed and sought interim stay for the FIRs.
Nagesh said that while his client has been accused of making lot of money by indulging in denotification of land and that the state exchequer lost heavily because of this action, the petitioners have not provided any details as to how did action of Yeddyurappa amount to misuse of power, what profit was obtained from whom, and how did the government lose etc and the ACB does not have any documents to support these allegations.
Former advocate general, Prof Ravivarma Kumar, arguing on behalf of ACB, said that before presenting arguments, objections should have been filed. He said that if found necessary, the summons served for personal appearance would be withdrawn and the petitioner will not be arrested till further hearing. Thereafter, the single judge bench presided over by Justice Aravind Kumar adjourned hearing in the case to August 28 after instructing ACB not to arrest the petitioner and not to undertake any legal measures till next hearing. It also served notice on the defendant in the case, Dr Ayyappa.
The high court in the meantime, instructed advocate for Yeddyurappa to remove from the petition certain sentences containing allegations against chief minister, Siddaramaiah.