Case against S M Krishna adjourned to May 5

Lokayukta Court on Wednesday adjourned to May 5 further hearing on a private complaint against External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and two other former Karnataka chief ministers accusing them of involvement in illegal mining.

Lokayukta Judge N K Sudhindra Rao adjourned hearing on the complaint filed by social activist T J Abraham after he sought time in view of the matter coming up before the Supreme Court on April 24 for final disposal.

In his complaint in December last year, Abraham had accused Krishna (who was Chief Minister from October 1999 to May 2004), and his successors N Dharam Singh (Congress) and H D Kumaraswamy (JDS) of having indulged in various acts of illegal omission and commission in relation to grant of leases for mining in the state during their tenure as chief

ministers. He also named 11 officials as co-accused.

During the earlier hearing on March 26, he had filed a memo before Lokayukta court seeking a trial into the veracity of contents of an affidavit filed by Samudaya Parivartana Samaj in the illegal mining case.

Abraham had submitted that the affidavit should be examined to ascertain the genuineness of contents therein.

He had also submitted that the SPS had approached Lokayukta court seeking to be arrayed as co-complainants in the mining case, although there is no provision for the same as per Criminal Procedure Code 1973.