Advance bail granted to Olekar in land scam

During the hearing on Tuesday, the Court extended the time for filing the inquiry report against Olekar, who is also the Haveri legislator. The Lokayukta police had earlier been asked to submit their inquiry report on December 20 and the Court has now
extended the deadline to February 24, 2012.

Olekar and his children had approached the Court seeking anticipatory bail following a private complaint filed by Guttal Erappa Lamani, a Congressman. According to the complaint, Dr B R Ambedkar Education Institute at Shidenur of Byadagi taluk, run by Nehru Olekar as president and his son Manjunath as secretary, had submitted an application to Haveri Urban Development Authority (HUDA) for allotment of land. The application was rejected only to favour Ramabai Ambedkar Education Institute, of which Olekar’s daughter Lakshmi was the secretary. The HUDA allotted the sites by its order dated December 29, 2008. But both the institutes were registered on April 22, 2010, Lamani had alleged.

The complaint also named Olekar’s son Manjunath N Olekar, daughter Lakshmi N Olekar, HUDA Commissioner K B Veerapur and Chairperson Girish Tuppada. The Lokayukta police filed an FIR against the legislator on November 19. The Court, while granting advance bail, directed all the accused to furnish a personal bond for Rs one lakh and a security for like sum each.