Bengaluru: Former Karnataka chief minister and state JD(S) president H D Kumaraswamy was today denied anticipatory bail by a special court here in an illegal mining case.
Lokayukta Court judge Gopal rejected the prayer of Kumaraswamy, who has been summoned by the Lokayukta’s special investigation team in connection with the case.
Kumaraswamy, the son of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, is accused of putting immense pressure on the then Commissioner of Mines, Gangaram Baderiya, to clear afile in favour of Janthakal mining firm in 2007, when he was the chiefminister.
Baderiya, now the principal secretary (revenue), was arrested by the SIT on May 15 for allegedly allowing the firm to illegally lift one million tonnes of mined ore in Chitradurga based on forged documents.
The SIT has summoned Kumaraswamy, following the arrest of Baderiya. Meanwhile, speaking to reporters, Kumaraswamy said he had no role in the case and would come out clean. “I do not have any role in this case… My legal team will bail me out… I will prove myselfinnocent,” the state chief of the Janata Dal (Secular) said.
Earlier, Kumaraswamy had accused the Congress government of targeting him ahead ofthe 2018 Assembly polls.
(Agencies)
