HC quashes illegal mining case against Yeddyurappa

Former Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa has been cleared in the illegal mining case, with the high court quashing the case against him in this regard.

The Karnataka high court, which heard a petition filed by Yeddyurappa challenging the chapter of the illegal mining report against him, has quashed the case.

The complaint filed against Yeddyurappa, the First Information Report and the sanction accorded against him by the governor have also been quashed by the high court.

The division bench comprising Justice Bhaktavatsala and Justice Govidarajulu quashed Chapter 22 of the illegal mining report, which named Yeddyurappa and his sons and alleged that they were involved in facilitating illegal mining in the state.

The report was prepared by the then Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde, who had stated that Yeddyurappa and his sons had floated a company through which they received kickbacks and facilitated illegal mining in the state.

In the wake of the report, the BJP top brass had forced Yeddyurappa to step down from the CM's post. Karnataka Governor H R Bharadwaj had then accorded sanction to prosecute Yeddyurappa. Based on the report, the Lokayukta police had filed a FIR.

Yeddyurappa had moved the HC to challenge this order. He even questioned the mining report in which his name was mentioned, terming it arbitrary, and sought relief.

Yeddyurappa still faces several legal cases, but this was the most damaging one as he had lost the CM's post over the illegal mining issue.

His followers have already decided to raise the pitch to re-instate him in the chief minister's chair.

Reacting to the judgment, B S Yeddyurappa expressed hope that he would be cleared of the remaining charges against him as well.

"I can't comment further as I have not read the judgment as yet," he said.