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Yeddyurappa awaits Special Court's verdict

January 24, 2011 09:18 IST
Karnataka is back in the headlines and this time too, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa is the one in the spotlight. Ever since the Bharatiya Janata Party formed its government in Karnataka, the state government has been beseiged with a slew of crises.

Yeddyurappa will await with bated breath to see the special court's verdict on the cases filed against him in connection with the land scam. Two advocates had filed complaints before the special court after Karnataka Governor H R Bharadwaj had accorded them the sanction to prosecute the CM.

Yeddyurappa's legal team had initially decided on moving the high court against the Governor's order. However the team has decided not to file the case. A member of the team told rediff.com that they did not want to jump the gun and instead wanted to see what action the special court would take. "These things take time and after much study and consultation we have found that the two advocates do not have much knowledge about the case. Moreover these advocates need to find their own witnesses and this entire process would take time," said the member.

The special court will also have to record the evidence, summon records and only then can it take cognisance of the case. "We will wait and see what happens as this process could take at least another 20 days. When questioned whether or not it would be embarrassing for the CM if at all the Sessions Court took cognizance, an advocate from the Yeddyurappa camp said that "the opposition may demand that he step down, but by then some legal action will be planned. However we do not want to move the high court right away."

Before the Special Sessions Court: The special court before which the two complaints were filed will have to deal with 15

issues. These issues were raised by two advocates and they had first petitioned the Governor.

The Governor in turn accorded sanction for the CM's prosecution following which the court was moved.

The court will now have to study these allegations and could order a probe by an investigating agency into the matter.  The court will look into the 15 allegations in which it has also been stated that the chief minister and his family gained Rs 189 crore due to lands being denotified over the past two years.

At New Delhi: BJP MLAs and MPs are scheduled to meet the President to complain about Karnataka Governor H R Bharadwaj's sanctions and seek his recall.

Yeddyurappa, who was in New Delhi on Sunday discussed this issue with the BJP high command. Apart from this, he also consulted with senior advocates and it was decided that they would file cases against the former chief ministers who also had allotted land illegally.

A complaint has already been filed before the Justice B Padmaraj commission which is looking into the land scam against four former chief ministers including S M Krishna and Deve Gowda. This complaint running into over 500 pages was filed before the commission by an advocate belonging to the BJP.

Opposition gears up: The Congress is gearing up to conduct a protest march after Thursday. They would also hold a massive rally to make public Yeddyurappa's alleged wrong doings, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Chief, K Parameshwar said.

The Janata Dal-Secular is planning on moving the Supreme Court claiming damages as a result of the bandh call given by the BJP on Saturday.
Vicky Nanjappa in Bengaluru