Daijiworld Media Network – Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Mar 19: on Friday March 18, Justice Padmaraj Commission filed objections in the form of an affidavit in the High Court division bench, against a public interest litigation seeking directions from the HC to hand over the land scam investigation to the Lokayukta.

“No one has the right to question the decision taken by the ministry, forming an inquiry commission for going into the alleged land scam. The commission is not investigating an isolated incident. It has been entrusted with the task of investigating all the land scam cases between 1994 and 2010. The commission’s sphere of work is not limited to allegations against the Chief Minister and his family members alone,” the commission said.

JDS leader, Y S V Datta, and a few others had filed the public interest litigation, expressing doubts about the chances of truth being brought out by the above commission, as it was appointed by those who are accused of  wrongdoings in land distribution. They had prayed for dismissing the commission set up by the state government, and assigning of the investigation to the Lokayukta.

The division bench comprising Chief Justice, J S Khehar, and justice, A S Bopanna, which took up the PIL, had issued stay order to the commission against subjecting any of the accused for questioning or investigations relating to the scam. Through an interim petition, Datta had also sought naming of the Chief Minister as a respondent in the case. On Friday, the division bench permitted the Chief Minister to file his objections to this petition. At the same time, the court adjourned the hearing in the case to May 17, and extended the earlier stay granted against the commission till that date.