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Lokayukta corruption row: Opposition mounts pressure for CBI probe

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Bhaskar-Rao

Belagavi: Keeping up pressure for removal of Lokaykuta Bhaskar Rao and a CBI probe into alleged bribery scandal in the anti-graft body, Opposition BJP and JDS members today staged a walkout from the Legislative Council, accusing the government of shielding the corrupt.

As the House proceedings began, BJP and JDS sought to move an adjournment motion on the scandal that has rocked the Lokayukta office and demanded removal of Rao, alleging his son was involved in corruption amounting to crores of rupees.

In their joint notice for adjournment motion, both parties said several social organisations, legal fraternity and its associations had expressed their dismay against the “corrupt” Lokayukta which was weakening the very institution and he should be removed.

As BJP leader K S Eshwarappa began speaking, he was interrupted frequently by the ruling Congress members which enraged his party members who staged a walkout, followed by their counterparts in JDS also.

Minister and Leader of the House S R Patil told reporters it is very unfortunate that BJP and JD(S) members walked out only because some from the ruling bench interrupted them.

“The government has no intention of protecting anyone. But government has no power for removal of Lokayukta as per the Lokayukta Act 1984,” he said.

Later, Eshwarappa told reporters that the government should seek opinion from legal experts on the charges levelled against Lokayukta.

A situation had arisen where all officers are scared of Lokayukta due to threat from his son, Eshwarappa said. The was protecting a corrupt Lokayukta, he alleged.

JDS senior member Basavarj Horatti wanted to know as to why government is protecting the Lokayukta.

An FIR was filed yesterday against the Lokayukta’s son in connection with the alleged scandal on the basis of a complaint that an executive engineer was asked to pay Rs 1 crore bribe to avoid a raid.

Rao, a former High Court Chief Justice, has rejected allegations that his son was involved in the scandal and said he would resign if the charge was proved correct.

The case has been handed over to a Special Investigation team by the government on the request by the Lokayukta.

(PTI)

Karnataka government moves SC against Jayalalithaa's acquittal

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Jayalalithaa

New Delhi: The Karnataka government today moved the Supreme Court challenging the state high court verdict acquitting Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in the disproportionate assets case.

The state government in its appeal, filed through advocate Joseph Aristotle, has sought setting aside of the Karnataka HC order and also pleaded that the disqualification of the AIADMK chief be restored.

It has also alleged that it did not get ample opportunity to put forth its case before the high court.

The Karnataka High Court had on May 11 acquitted the AIADMK leader in the case, saying that her conviction by the special court suffered from infirmity and was not sustainable in law.

The special court had last year held Jayalalithaa guilty of corruption and sentenced her to four years imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 100 crore.

(PTI)

FIRs against BSY, HDK in illegal land denotification case

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This Nov. 2007 photo shows Kumaraswamy and Yeddyurappa coming out of Raj Bhavan after meeting the then Governor Rameshwar Thakur. File Photo: Bhagya Prakash K, The Hindu

This Nov. 2007 photo shows Kumaraswamy and Yeddyurappa coming out of Raj Bhavan after meeting the then Governor Rameshwar Thakur. File Photo: Bhagya Prakash K, The Hindu

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Lokayukta on Saturday filed FIRs against former chief ministers and BJP and JDS leaders BS Yeddyurappa and HD Kumaraswamy in an alleged illegal land denotification case.

According to RTI documents, Kumaraswamy and Yeddyurappa have been made, respectively, the number one and number two accused in the case.

Both former chief ministers are accused of denotifying a prime plot to benefit Kumaraswamy’s relative.

The CID had held a preliminary inquiry on the findings of a Comptroller and Auditor General of India report of 2012 on land denotification carried out by the successive governments from 2007-12 and had recently submitted its report to the Lokayukta.

The report said the accused have prima facie played a stellar role in denotifying huge tracts of land, causing a financial loss to the exchequer, Lokayukta said.

The CAG had made scathing remarks against the incumbent chief ministers between 2007 to 2012 who disregarded the well- defined law that once the land is in possession it could not be denotified.

The denotification of 610 acres and 16.5 acres of land referred to in the CAG report were ordered when Kumaraswamy and Yeddyurappa were the chief ministers and in between during a period of Governor’s rule.

(Agencies)

Tamil Nadu to get Rs 5-crore bill from Karnataka for Jayalalithaa case

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Jayalalithaa

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government is sending over a bill of more than Rs. 5.11 crore to neighbour Tamil Nadu soon. That is what it has spent on conducting the trial of Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and three others in a corruption case over the last 12 years.

“We will claim Rs. 5.11 crore plus money from Tamil Nadu government which was spent on handling the case in Bengaluru,” Law Minister TB Jayachandra of the Congress told reporters in Bengaluru on Thursday.

Mr Jayachandra said the state government would also bill Tamil Nadu for expenditure incurred on matters related to the Home department, including security cover for Ms Jayalalithaa, who returned as Tamil Nadu chief minister two weeks ago after the Karnataka High Court acquitted her, quashing her conviction by a Bangalore trial court in September last year.

“The home ministry is working on calculating expenses incurred on providing security to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister,” Mr Jayachandra said.

Four days ago, the Karnataka government said it will file an appeal in the Supreme Court against the acquittal of Ms Jayalalithaa.

The Supreme Court had transferred the case to Bengaluru on November 18, 2003, after K Anbazhagan, a politician from the DMK, Ms Jayalalithaa’s arch rival, contended that a fair trial was not possible in Tamil Nadu with her Chief Minister.

In September last year, the trial court held Ms Jayalalithaa guilty of amassing wealth beyond her income. She was jailed for three weeks before being granted bail. The conviction forced the chief of Tamil Nadu’s ruling AIADMK to resign as chief minister.

She appealed in the Karnataka High Court, which acquitted Ms Jayalalithaa on May 11 in the 19-year-old case.

(Agencies)

Rs 2.4cr bill lands Karnataka governor in controversy

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Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala

Bengaluru: Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala has landed himself in a controversy after an RTI query revealed excessive spending by him. The RTI reply shows that the Governor’s office had claimed Rs 2.3 crore for renovation and Rs 10 lakh more were spent on chartered flights for his official visits, sources said.

The bill says that Rs 40 lakh was spent on providing interiors in the Governor and his ADC’s chambers. This included wooden false ceiling, wooden wall paneling, glass doors among several others. Additional sum of Rs 30 lakh was spent on the interior works in the offices of Officer on Special Duty (OSD), private secretary and main lounge.

Alterations worth Rs 25 lakh were made in the telephone exchange, computer section, dispensary and university section in the Raj Bhavan.

Rs 35 lakh was also spent on asphalting internal roads and providing kerbs at the front. Another Rs 50 lakh were also spent on widening of pathway near the main building, alterations to laundry and dispensary.

The amount for renovating the kitchen, dining hall and bathroom of the Governor’s was billed at Rs 50 lakh.

Vala assumed office of the Governor on September 1, 2014. His appointment had been opposed by the Congress government in the state.

(Agencies)

Karnataka cabinet decides to challenge acquittal of Jayalalithaa

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Jayalalithaa

Bengaluru: Ending three-week long suspense, Karnataka government today decided to file an appeal in the Supreme Court against acquittal of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and three others in the disproportionate assets case.

The decision to challenge the May 11 verdict by Justice C R Kumaraswamy of the Karnataka High Court was taken at a cabinet meeting after the advice by the Special Public Prosecutor in the case B V Acharya and state Advocate General Ravivarma Kumar as also the state Law Department.

“The Chief Minister has directed me to file an appeal in the Supreme Court immediately,” Law Minister Jayachandra said.

Replying to a query, he said Acharya will be the SPP in the case in the apex court.

He said the SPP appointed on the direction of the Supreme Court had advised filing the appeal against the acquittal of Jayalalitha and three others and even the AG and law Secretary had concurred with it.

“….And now the cabinet has decided to file the appeal,” he said, adding it was being done “legally on merit”.

The Supreme Court had specifically said Karnataka has stepped into the shoes of TN and it is the sole prosecuting agency for all matters related to the disproportionate assets case, he said.

In the May 11 verdict that restored Chief Ministership to her, Jayalalithaa was acquitted of “all charges” in the 19-year old disproportionate assets case. Three other convicts, including her close aide Sasikala Natarajan, were also given a clean chit by the High Court.

A fresh legal challenge to 67-year old Jayalalithaa has come nine days after she made a triumphant return as Chief Minister with O Panneerselvam making way for her following acquittal by the High Court.

The state government had a 90-day deadline to file the appeal.

Karnataka is the sole prosecuting agency in the case, which was transferred to Bengaluru from Tamil Nadu by the Supreme Court for a “fair” trial.

Justice Kumaraswamy had set aside the trial court’s judgement which had sentenced Jayalalithaa and three others to four years in jail and allowed the appeals by all the four convicts.

Special Court Judge Michael D Cunha had on September 27 last held Jayalalithaa and three others guilty of corruption and awarded four years jail term, due to which she attracted disqualification as an MLA that divested her of Chief Ministership.The judge had also slapped a fine of Rs 100 crore on Jayalalithaa and Rs 10 crore each on three other convicts.

Giving a clean chit to Jayalalithaa, Karnataka High Court had held that the judgement and findings recorded by the trial court convicting her and three others suffers from infirmity and it is not sustainable in law.

Acquitting Jayalalithaa and three others of “all the charges levelled against them”, the single bench judge Justice Kumaraswamy, in his 919-page judgement, had also quashed the order of the trial court relating to confiscation of the properties both movable and immovable.

On disproportionate assets, the judge had held that “it is relatively small. In the instant case, the disproportionate asset is less than 10 per cent and it is within permissible limit.”

“The percentage of disproportionate assets is 8.12 per cent,” the judge had said.

AIADMK’s bitter rival DMK had raised the pitch for filing the appeal against acquittal while the original petitioner Subramanian Swamy had also said he would move the Supreme Court if Karnataka does not challenge the High Court verdict.

(PTI)

Karnataka government to take call on appeal against Jayalalithaa's acquittal soon

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jayalalithaa

Bengaluru: Karnataka government would take a call “as early as possible” on “merits” on the issue of filing an appeal against acquittal of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa in the disproportionate assets case, State Law Minister TB Jayachandra said today.

“We had sought many clarifications and they have been answered by the Advocate General. On merits where are we – I am examining it, and I will take a final call as early as possible,” he told reporters in Bengaluru.

In the May 11 verdict that restored Chief Ministership of Tamil Nadu to her, Jayalalithaa was acquitted by the Karnataka High Court of “all charges” in the 19-year old disproportionate assets case.

Three other convicts, including her close aide Sasikala Natarajan, were also given a clean chit by the High Court.

Responding to questions, Jayachandra initially said, “We had sought some clarifications from Advocate General and we have received them. I will look into those recommendations and will take decision in three to four-days-time.”

But later, he said the decision would be taken “as early as possible.”

Jayachandra said the Advocate General has recommended to the government to file an appeal in the Supreme Court, but refused to share the details of Advocate-General’s views.

However, Jayachandra said, “As per law, 90 days is the limit. It is not even 15 to 20 days (since the verdict came), and … the law department has to go and study all aspects.”

Special Public Prosecutor BV Acharya also had advised the government to file an appeal in the Supreme Court against Jayalalithaa’s acquittal, saying it was a “fit case” to do so.

(Agencies)

State law department examining HC judgement on Jayalalithaa : Karnataka CM

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Photo: IE

Photo: IE

Bengaluru: Even as AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa returned to power today, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the state law department is examining the judgement of the High Court which acquitted her of all charges and the government would take a decision on filing an appeal in the case after receiving the report.

“Our law department is examining the judgement of Karnataka High Court. After getting the report from law department, we will decide,” Siddaramaiah told reporters here.

Asked whether he has spoken to AICC in this regard, the chief minister said, “No, the High command is not at all interfering in the state matters”.

Jayalalithaa was disqualified following her conviction in the Rs 66.66 crore disproportionate assets case by a trial court in Bengaluru on September 27. The Karnataka High Court had subsequently acquitted her of the charges on May 11 this year.

She was today sworn in for the fifth time as chief minister, nearly eight months after she was forced to quit over corruption charges.

Karnataka Health Minister UT Khader appears for MA exam

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Photo Caption

Bengaluru: Karnataka’s Health and Family Welfare Minister U.T. Khader on Tuesday appeared for his Master of Arts (M.A.) examination at Austin College here in the state capital.

“Though I am a B.A., LL.B. from Mangalore University and have practical experience through public life as a politician and lawmaker, I wanted knowledge in subjects of my interest such as public administration, politics and governance,” Khader told media persons after writing the first of the five papers for his Master’s.

The 45-year-old Congress legislator from Mangaluru assembly constituency, enrolled as a student of the Karnataka State Open University in 2014 for post-graduation in public administration, 19 years after graduating in arts and law in 1996.

“I am keen on doing post-graduation in subjects that would widen my general knowledge and keep me abreast of the latest information in the field I have been involved over the last two decades,” Khader said.

Like other students of an open university, Khader paid Rs.5,600 as fee for the two-year course and Rs.1,400 to write the first set of five papers.

“As I will be busy with the ensuing gram panchayat polls in my constituency next week, I may have to skip the other papers, as their dates are clashing with poll dates (May 29 and June 1),” he said.

“I will appear for them during the supplementary exams in the next six months with the university’s permission,” Khader said.

Admitting that he could not devote enough time to study the course material due to his occupation as a minister, Khader said he had, however, prepared for the exams by reading the subject text books thoroughly over the last five-six days.

“I have done well and am confident of getting through the papers. More than passing or failing, acquiring as much knowledge as possible is important,” he said.

(Agencies)

Subramanian Swamy to move SC against Jayalalithaa's acquittal if Karnataka doesn't do

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Subramanian Swamy (Photo credit: Jagran)

Subramanian Swamy (Photo credit: Jagran)

Bengaluru: Senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy today said he will move the Supreme Court next month against the acquittal of AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa in a grafts case if the Karnataka government did not do so by then.

“I have decided to file SLP (Special Leave Petition) in SC after June 1st if K’taka govt does not file. So no need to go to KHC (Karnataka High Court),” he tweeted.

The BJP leader’s statement comes two days after he had indicated on micro blogging site ‘Twitter’ that he could file an appeal in the apex court against Jayalalithaa and “prove that the KHC judgment is a ‘tragedy of arithmetic errors'”, adding she would have to resign as Chief Minister if she had taken over by then.

Swamy is the original complainant in the case. He had filed a case in 1996 against Jayalalithaa alleging that during her tenure as Chief Minister from 1991 to 1996, she amassed properties disproportionate to her known sources of income.

The DMK government subsequently filed cases, including the Rs 66.65 crore disproportionate assets case, against Jayalalithaa which led to her conviction in September last by a special court.

The Karnataka High Court acquitted Jayalalithaa on Monday.

(Agencies)

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