Kumaraswamy, wife appear before Lokayukta court

Kumaraswamy arrived with his wife following the High Court granting them anticipatory bail. The husband-wife duo furnished personal bonds of Rs 50,000 each and a surety before Lokyukta special court Judge N K Sudhindra Rao.

The court then adjourned the case to September 24. Earlier, senior counsel for Kumaraswamy and his wife filed a memo along with a copy of the yesterday's high court order in which they were ordered to be released in the event of arrest on personal bond of Rs 50,000 each and one surety.

The counsel submitted that they had already been granted anticipatory bail and have appeared before the court and were ready to furnish the required personal bonds and surety. Counsel for third accused Vinod Goel, Managing Director of Jentakal Mining Company, filed an application seeking exemption from personal appearance on health grounds today, which the court accepted. All the three accused are required to be present on September 24.

Meanwhile, Kumaraswamy and his wife have moved a regular bail plea in the Lokayukta court. The cases pertain to a private complaint filed by advocate Vinod Kumar, alleging that Kumaraswamy had favoured a mining company during his tenure as chief minister in 2006- 2007 by renewing its licence and also issuance of permits for lifting iron ore.

The complaint also charged Kumarasamy with allowing bulk allotment of sites to a housing society and, as a quid pro quo, it had granted a site to his wife.

Talking to reporters outside the court, Kumaraswamy defended his non-appearance before the court on three earlier occasions saying he had followed the advice of his counsels and not out of fear of arrest.

The JD(S) leader said he had the highest respect for the judiciary. Kumaraswamy said he was hurt by media comments that he did not appear before the Lokayukta special court fearing his arrest.

"Let me clarify that it was not out of fear or disrespect to court that we did not appear before the court but in accordance with the advice given by our legal counsels that we should not do so before seeking legal remedies. And since the anticipatory bail plea was before the high court, till the judgement is pronounced on that, it was not proper to appear in the lower court," Kumaraswamy said.