The Karnataka high court Tuesday rejected former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa’s plea to quash two corruption and illegal land deals cases against him for which he was sent to jail last year.
Justice Anand Byrareddy dismissed Yeddyurappa’s petitions against the two cases filed in the Lokayukta (ombudsman) court by Bangalore advocate Sirajin Basha.
Justice Byrareddy also rejected a similar petition by ruling Bharatiya Janata Party legislator Hemachandra Sagar, one of the 14 accused, along with Yeddyurappa, in the two cases.
Yeddyurappa is accused of freeing from government control lands at three places in Bangalore to favour his family members.
The dismissal of petitions means the Lokayukta court headed by judge N.K. Sudhindra Rao can go ahead with Yeddyurappa’s trial.
The former chief minister spent 21 days in Bangalore jail in October-November last year in connection with these two cases. He is on bail now. He is facing three other cases filed by Bhasha in which he has secured anticipatory bail.
The setback to the BJP leader came a day after he got a relief in another case accusing him of awarding contract in an irrigation project in return for Rs.13 crore kickbacks to his family members.
The police Monday told the Lokayukta court that Yeddyurappa had not violated rules in awarding the contract.
The court has given one week’s time to the complainant Y.S.V. Datta, Janata Dal-Secular legislator and spokesperson, to respond to the police giving clean chit to Yeddyurappa.
