JOIN USHDK, Anita get a day's reprieve
The Court will pass an order on their pleas in two corruption cases filed against them in Special Lokayukta Court here, on Thursday.
Justice L Narayana Swamy, who heard the matter, reserved the order for Thursday and granted the couple interim bail till then. They were also exempted from personal appearance before the Special Lokayukta Court on Wednesday.
The cases pertain to a private complaint filed by advocate Vinod Kumar accusing the former chief minister of corruption in bulk land allotment to Vishwabharathi housing society and granting permission to renew licence to Janthakal mining company during his tenure as Chief Minister.
Counsel for Kumaraswamy and Anita submitted that the trial court judge had issued summons without holding an inquiry, and the bulk allotment was in accordance with a High Court order.
Anita was a member of the Housing society before her husband became Chief Minister and had also returned the site as it was not as per 'vaastu' principles.
On the renewal of mining licence, the counsel contended it had not been questioned in any court of law, there were no grievances and Kumaraswamy had not misused his power. He pleaded for interim bail apprehending Kumaraswamy's arrest as the "offence is non-bailable.
Counsel for Vinod Kumar submitted that there was no threat of arrest and the interim bail application was only to avoid appearance in the court. He alleged that Kumaraswamy indulged in favouritism and exerted pressure on the then Commissioner of Mines and Geology to renew mining licence to the company and that there was
‘illegal gratification’ vis-a-vis the bulk allotment.
On health ground
In the morning, at the Special Lokayukta Court things looked bleak for the JD(S) leader as his counsel kept seeking more time, first to file an exemption petition and later for arguments.
The counsel moved yet another exemption petition and this was the third time Kumaraswamy’s counsel was seeking exemption from appearance on health ground. However, Sandeep Patil, the counsel for the complainant Vinod Kumar, argued that the health card submitted as evidence of Kumaraswamy’s ill health was an outpatient card registered on Wednesday at KIMS Hospital. “He was treated as an outpatient in the morning and he does not even have the courtesy to attend the Court proceedings, while he is going back home,” he argued.