Court takes cognisance of complaint against Devegowda & family

The 23rd Additional Civil and Sessions Court judge C B Hippargi directed its office to register the complaint as a private one and posted the matter to March 9 for recording sworn statement of the complainant.

The complainant Vinod had charged Gowda and his family with illegally acquiring 82 acres of land in Holenarasipura in his home district of Hassan, meant for landless people, "using their political power."

He alleged Gowda's son H D Kumaraswamy as Chief Minister had in 2007 allotted 80 acres to Vishwabharathi Housing Cooperative Society, violating the Supreme Court order (as per which land should not be allotted in bulk to any private Society). The Society had alloted a 80/150 feet site to his wife Anita Kumaraswamy.

Vinod alleged Kumaraswamy, during his reign as Chief Minister, renewed the 20-year pending mining and transport licence of Janthakal Mining Enterprises without necessary sanction from official authorities, including the forest department and pollution control board.

He also pointed out that the mother-in-law of H D Revanna, Gowda's other son, had purchased some land belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in violation of Prohibition of Transfer of Certain Lands (PTCL) Act, which she subsequently "gifted" to Revanna.

Vinod had filed the complaint before the Lokayukta Court earlier this month.