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In a reprieve for External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, the Supreme Court on Friday stayed the Karnataka high court order directing Lokayukta Police to probe him in the alleged illegal mining during his tenure as the Chief Minister of the state.
"We are inclined to stay the proceedings. Accordingly the proceedings on the FIR on the issue ordered by the Karnataka Lokayukta will remain stayed," a bench comprising justices Altamas Kabir and Gyan Sudha Misra said.
The bench also said that the probe ordered by the Lokayukta court was "premature".
It issued notice to Karnataka government and the complainant, on whose plea the FIR was registered and sought their response within three weeks.
The court passed the orders on a plea by Krishna, seeking quashing of private complaint and probe by Lokayukta police against him over alleged illegal mining when he was Karnataka chief minister from 1999 to 2004.
The petition by Krishna had challenged the January 20 decision of the Karnataka high court by which his plea for quashing the private complaint and proceedings ordered by the Lokayukta Special Court against him was declined.
He had contended that the Cabinet decision was a collective one taken by 34 ministers and an individual cannot be held responsible for it.