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Land scam: Karnataka Lokayukta issues notice to CM

November 27, 2010 19:27 IST

Karnataka Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde on Saturday issued a notice to Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on a complaint against him about denotification of lands.

Earlier on Saturday, the Lokayukta expressed regret over his decision to withdraw his resignation over the government's inaction about the massive corruption in the state. While addressing the media at Bengaluru on Saturday, Justice Hegde said that he cannot now undo what has been done and he cannot resign again.

The Lokayukta was speaking in the context of a probe being ordered into the land scams in the last ten years by the Karnataka government. Justice Hegde felt that another inquiry cannot be conducted since the matter was already pending before the Lokayukta.

"I had written a letter to the chief secretary explaining the same, but I did not receive any reply. Later, I get a letter from the principal secretary, asking me to give a list of the progress that has been made in all the cases pending before me," said Justice Hegde.

"I have written a letter with all the details and in the letter I have mentioned that there were 14 cases before me against the chief minister of Karnataka. Of these cases, I have closed 8 cases and no notices were issued to the chief minister. However there is one case in which I have found a prima facie case and I have issued a notice to him. This matter is under probe," Justice Hegde said.

He refused to divulge more details and said that since it was an official communication, he could not reveal more.

Vicky Nanjappa