By IANS,
Bangalore : The Karnataka Lokayukta would soon act on the governor’s sanction to prosecute former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa in the multi-crore mining scam under the Prevention of Corruption Act, the state’s new ombudsman Justice (retd) V. Shivaraj Patil said Tuesday.
“I will soon act upon the sanction the governor (H.R. Bhardwaj) granted to prosecute Yeddyurappa as recommended in the final investigation report on illegal mining activity by my predecessor (Justice N. Santosh Hegde) as I am still examining all its aspects,” Patil told reporters here.
As the governor is the competent authority to take action against a chief minister under the Karnataka Lokayukta Act, 1994, Bhardwaj Aug 3 recommended the ombudsman to initiate criminal proceedings against Yeddyurappa on the basis of the probe report, which Hegde submitted to the government July 27.
“It is just a week ago I assumed this (Lokayukta) office. The probe report runs into over 25,000 pages with annexures and recommendations. It’s a huge task. My officers and myself are at it. I am studying it from all angles to respond appropriately soon,” Patil observed.
Acknowledging that he had also received a review petition filed by Yeddyurappa Aug 2 to reconsider the graft charges against him and recommendation for his trial, Patil said he would study the plea and respond appropriately.
“As the petition is before the chief justice of the high court (Justice K.S. Kehar), I may have to wait for its outcome before acting on Yeddyurappa’s review petition,” Patil said.
On the jailing of former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) minister Katta Subramanya Naidu in a land scam, Patil said the law would takes its course and the trial against Naidu was going in accordance with the sanction granted by the governor under the state Lokayukta Act and Prevention of Corruption Act.
Naidu and his son Jagadish Naidu, a corporator in the local body were jailed Monday after their bail pleas were rejected by a local court in an illegal land deal case in which they are accused of taking Rs.87 crore as kickback from a software firm.