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Cong seeks Lokayukta probe against K'taka CM in land scam

December 03, 2010 22:07 IST
Problems for Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa continued with the Congress lodging a complaint against him and his sons in connection with a land scam on Friday.

The 370-page complaint was lodged before Karnataka's Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde in which the Congress not only names the CM and his sons but also other ministers in the Bharatiya Janata Party cabinet.

Justice Hegde told rediff.com that the complaint deals largely with the land scam allegedly involving the Karnataka CM, his sons and other ministers in his cabinet. "I am yet to read through the complaint entirely. There is also another complaint to this effect and the matter will be probed," he also said.

In the complaint, the Congress states that the CM had denotified 180 acres of land and there are 78 instances of him doing so to favour his sons and others, thus suggesting the involvement of Yedduyurappa in a scam that runs into Rs 5,000 crore.

The Congress submitted papers relating to denotification of land by Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board and allotment of sites by Bangalore Development Authority flouting norms, among others. They demanded a Lokayukta probe into the alleged scams contending that those who figured in the complaint list have not shown these assets in their annual declarations filed before the Lokayukta and thus suppressed their income and wealth.

According to the complaint, Yeddyurappa had granted two acres of land to a company by the name Fluid Power Technologies Pvt Ltd located in the outskirts of Bengaluru. Interestingly, both the CM's sons are on the board of directors of this company. Further the complaint also alleges that two plots measuring up to 4,000 sq ft each were given to Raghavendra and also a BJP MLA from the CM's home constituency in Shimoga.

The complaint by the Congress does not restrict itself to the CM alone but also makes allegations against Karnataka Home Minister R Ashok. It is alleged that the Ashok had acquired a 9,000 sq feet plot from another person. According to the complaint, he managed to acquire the plot despite it being allotted to the BDA.

There are also further complaints against Katta Subramanya Naidu, a cabinet minister, who stepped down on Friday following a chargesheet being filed against him by the Lokayukta. It is alleged that Naidu, who was the state's IT minister, had sold off one acre of land belonging to the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board.

However, Justice Hegde after filing the chargesheet said that they would not arrest Naidu, but would interrogate him. "There is no need to arrest him unless we find that he is tampering with evidence," he pointed out.

In addition to this the Congress has also complained against K S Eshwarappa, the president of the BJP in Karnataka.

The Congress has urged the Lokayukta to find out the exact extent of the scam.

Hegde told the Congress leaders that he would consider initiating an inquiry once the high court passes an order on a PIL, which sought a direction on who should investigate the land scam cases -- Llokayukta or the Justice B Padmaraj commission.

Vicky Nanjappa in Bengaluru