From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Aug 23: Even as former minister Katta Subramanya Naidu along with his BBMP coroporator son Katta Jagadish and Itaska Company’s Managing Director Srinivas are languishing in judicial custody waiting for a decision from the court on their bail petitions, Karnataka High Court on Tuesday reserved its verdict on the petition filed by former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa challenging a private complaint regarding financial irregularities in the Upper Bhadra Irrigation Project.
The High Court’s division bench comprising Justice K L Manjunath and Justice H S Kempanna heard the petition filed on behalf of the former chief minister against the order the Lokayukta special court on August 8 into the complaint lodged against him by JD(S) MLC and spokesman Y S V Datta, following which an FIR was filed by the Lokayukta police on August 10.
Senior counsel and Supreme Court lawyer U U Lalit, who appeared on behalf of Yeddyurappa, challenged the complaint and order of reference by Special Lokayukta judge N K Sudhindhra Rao under Section 156(3) of CrPC (initiating criminal proceedings), stating that Rao is not a magistrate and hence has no jurisdiction to take cognisance of the complaint, making a reference under the Section.
"It has to be taken cognisance and referred to under Section 202 of CrPC which is nothing but collection of evidence," he submitted.
The Division Bench reserved orders after hearing Lalit's submissions.
It may be recalled that Yeddyurappa had filed an anticipatory bail application in this case, which will be heard on August 25.
The JD(S) state general secretary had, in his private complaint, alleged that the project was awarded to the highest bidder, a private firm RNS Jyothi at Rs 1,033 crore, contrary to the norm, as in the case of a government project, it is the lowest bidder who gets the contract.
RNS Jyothi had transferred Rs 13 crore to Dhavalagiri Developers and Sahyadri Healthcare, owned by Yeddyurappa's sons B Y Raghavendra and B Y Vijayendra and son-in-law Sohan Kumar, he alleged.
Katta Denied Bail
Meanwhile, the High Court rejected the bail pleas of former minister Katta Subramanaya Naidu and two others, facing allegations of corruption in the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board land scam.
Justice V Jagannathan denied bail to Naidu, his Bangalore city corporator son Jagadish and ITASCA Software company Managing Director S V Srinivas.
Naidu, Jagadish and Srinivas were sent to judicial custody on August eight after a Lokayukta court refused to grant them bail.
Naidu is currently undergoing treatment in the state-run Victoria Hospital.
DVS calls on Yeddyurappa
Incidentally, Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda called on his predecessor B S Yeddyurappa, undergoing medical check up in a private hospital in the city.
Gowda inquired about the health of Yeddyurappa, who is under treatment for high blood pressure and blood sugar.
Yeddyurappa, who quit as chief minister after the previous Lokayukta Justice Santhosh Hegde, in his final report over illegal mining had indicted him, was admitted on Saturday.