Yeddyurappa Moves Court Against Lokayukta Report

Bangalore, Aug 2 (IANS): Outgoing Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa Tuesday moved the high court against Lokayukta N. Santosh Hegde's recommendation to try him for graft. He also moved the ombudsman to reconsider his recommendation.

The high court is likely to hear the petition Wednesday while the petition to the Lokayukta will have to be considered by Hegde's successor, Shivaraj Patil who will assume office Wednesday.

"Hegde told us that since his term ends today (Tuesday) he will leave a note to the successor to consider the petition," Yeddyurappa's political secretary B.J. Puttaswamy told reporters here.

In both the petitions, Yeddyurappa has contented that the Lokayukta has gone beyond the terms of reference to probe illegal mining.

He has also not given any opportunity to Yeddyurappa to hear his version and hence the recommendation to try him for graft was against principles of natural justice, Puttaswamy said, quoting the petition.

In his report on illegal mining in the state, Hegde found that Prerana Education and Social Trust run by Yeddyurappa's two sons had received donation of Rs.10 crore from a mining company.

The company had also paid the two sons exorbitant price of Rs.20 crore to buy an acre of land near Bangalore from them. The market price was for the land was just over Rs.1 crore.

Yeddyurppa said in his petition to the Lokayukta that he had no connection with the trust run by his sons and had not favoured the mining company in any way because of its dealings with the trust and for buying the one acre land, Puttaswamy said.