Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Dec 19: State energy minister, D K Shivakumar, and former chief minister and BJP national vice president, B S Yeddyurappa and some others, accused of wrongdoings in Benniganahalli denotification case, have been exonerated by the state high court (HC).

In its verdict delivered on Friday December 18 on petitions submitted by Shivakumar and others, the single judge bench presided over by Justice Anand Byrareddy, dismissed cases filed in Lokayukta court against D K Shivakumar, B S Yeddyurappa, the then special deputy commissioner, K Ramegowda, and sub-registrar, Hamid Ali.

"The accusations made against the accused are found to be untrue. Although Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) had issued notification for acquiring the land, the land had not been physically acquired. The project had been terminated as land was not acquired even after five years of notification. So there is nothing wrong in purchasing such a land. There were no restrictions on the disposal of this land. There is nothing wrong in buying this land and transferring it to someone else," the bench observed.

The bench also said that the land was transferred under Karnataka Land (Restriction on Transfer) Act and Shivakumar put through this transaction as an individual, and not by using his influence as a minister or MLA. "The officials would have affected Khata transfer within two days to appease the minister, and there may be procedural lapses. But it cannot be termed a conspiracy. The then chief minister, Yeddyurappa, discharged his duties in his official capacity, and he had no role in the entire transaction," the court observed.

In two separate complaints, T J Abrahim and Kabbale Gowda had told the Lokayukta court that during the period Yeddyurappa was the chief minister, D K Shivakumar, by undue use of his influence, had bought 4.20 acres of land near Benniganahalli that had been marked by BDA for acquisition, and then got it denotified.