Custody of Katta Jagadish, Itasca MD extended
The Special Lokayukta court on Wednesday extended the judicial custody of corporator Katta Jagadish and Itasca Software MD S V Srinivas till November 26.
The two are accused in the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) land scam which also involves former minister Katta Subramanya Naidu.
The counsel for Katta Subramanya Naidu submitted that he has left for Mumbai under police guard to seek treatment for cancer at Lilavati Hospital. Of the nine accused, Venkaiah and Jaggaiah of Indu Developers are still absconding.
Judge N K Sudhindra Rao directed the Lokayukta police to file a split charge sheet to facilitate separate trial of the case against Venkaiah and Jaggaiah. The other accused, United Telecom Company Chairman Basavapoornaiah, retired KAS officer T P Muninarayanappa, BBMP member M Gopi and Bandikodigehalli Gram Panchayat member B K Manju have got bail from the court.
The Lokayukta police on July 8 had submitted a charge sheet to the Special Lokayukta Court against Katta Subramanya Naidu and Katta Jagadish for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 87 crore to allot 325 acres of land to Itasca Software Development Company.
In 2006, Itasca sought 325 acres of land from the then JD(S)-BJP coalition government to set up a special economic zone.
The application was made through Katta Jagadish, now Vasanthanagar corporator, to the Karnataka Udyog Mitra. Despite several deficiencies in the application, then minister Subramanya Naidu instructed that the application be tabled before a high-powered committee led by the chief minister. Accordingly, the application was accepted and the government issued an order for allotment of land in Bandikodigehalli.
The Lokayukta police which investigated the case had unearthed irregularities by the KIADB during land acquisition for Itasca. They had claimed that S V Srinivas and Basavapoornaiah had paid Rs 87 crore to Naidu and his son. But the investigation revealed that the money was paid to them through Indu Developers, a proxy company of the Katta family.
Objections to bail pleas
The Lokayukta court has directed Manju’s counsel to file objections by November 26 to the application filed by Madhumathi, a resident of Chinnappanahalli and witness in the KIADB land scam case.
In her application, Madhumathi had stated that Manju and another person, B M Anjinappa, had issued a life threat to her and the Bangalore police have registered a case. Madhumathi sought cancellation of bail for Manju.
