In a major legal triumph for BJP state strongman B S Yeddyurappa, the Karnataka High Court on Wednesday declared as “bad in law” a chapter in the Lokayukta report that indicted him on illegal mining causing his exit as chief minister and quashed the FIR against him based on it.
The court also set aside the sanction given by Governor H R Bhardwaj to prosecute Yeddyurappa and quashed the Lokayukta Police FIR holding, “There is no case which is made out against Yeddyurappa under provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act or any other law.”
The relief for Yeddyurappa, which is likely to spur him to make a renewed bid for reinstatement as chief minister, came in the order pronounced by a division bench comprising justices K Bhakstavatsala and K Govindarajulu on his petition challenging the FIR and the governor’s sanction. The court quashed Chapter 22 of the Lokayukta report on illegal mining, which had indicted him of committing various acts of omission and commission to favour a mining firm on the basis of which the FIR was filed.
The report on illegal mining submitted by the then Lokayukta Santosh Hegde last July had caused a political turmoil for the first ever BJP government in the south, culminating in the exit of Yeddyurappa under pressure from the party central leadership which had taken on the UPA on corruption.
The court observed that the chapter 22 was “bad in law” and did not indicate any favours shown by Yeddyurappa as the chief minister to any mining company. The chapter had referred to donation of Rs 10 crore by South West Mining Company to Prerana Trust, owned and managed by Yeddyurappa’s family members, and also the purchase of 1.20 acres by the firm for Rs 20 crore from his kin. It had opined, these payments were made by the firm to seek official favours.