Nod to prosecute Yeddyurappa

Karnataka governor H R Bhardwaj on Wednesday sanctioned initiation of criminal proceedings against outgoing chief minister B S Yeddyurappa by the state Lokayukta (ombudsman) under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, for his criminal involvement in the multi-crore mining scam in the state.

“I have read the Lokayukta report and accepted it as I am the competent authority. I agree with the Lokayukta report and returned the papers asking him to go ahead with the further action on the ex-chief minister. Any further action is to conduct a police investigation and submit the report to me. Based on the report I will decide on the prosecution of the ex-chief minister,” Bhardwaj said. He told Business Standard on the sidelines of oath taking function of new Lokayukta Justice Shivaraj V Patil, on Wednesday, until the police investigation is complete the question of prosecution does not arise.

In a separate communi-qué from the Rajbhavan, the governor said he has accepted the findings in chapter 22 of the voluminous probe report.

“The governor also directed the ombudsman to take action against Yeddyurappa through the Lokayukta police and conveyed his decision to the registrar of the Lokayukta,” the communiqué noted.

The governor’s sanction comes a day after Yeddyurappa filed a writ petition in the state HC on Tuesday for a stay on the probe report which recommended his trial for graft in the mining scam.

Former ombudsman Justice N Santosh Hegde submitted the final probe report on July 27 on the mining scam, recommending prosecution of Yeddyurappa, four cabinet ministers and scores of officials found guilty under the Prevention of Corruption Act. “It is now up to the new Lokayukta to go ahead with the investigation and it depends on him how soon the investigation can be completed,” Bhardwaj said.

As regards to prosecution of other ministers indicted in the Lokayukta report, the governor said it is up to the new government to decide.

The probe report found Prerana Education Trust, run by Yeddyurappa’s family, had received Rs 10 crore donation from South West Company of Jindal Steel Ltd whose application for three mining leases in the mineral rich Bellary district was pending with the state mining department that came under the chief minister.

The report also found that Yeddyurappa’s two sons — B Y Vijayendra and B Y Raghavandra — sold an acre of land at Rachenahalli near the Bangalore international airport to South West Mining Company for Rs 20 crore though its market value was Rs 1.40 crore.

In his petition to the High Court, Yeddyurappa contended that the ombudsman had gone beyond the terms of reference to probe illegal mining and that he was not given an opportunity to hear his version before finalising the report.

“The Lokayukta’s recommendation to prosecute me for graft is against the principles of natural justice,” the petition observed.