BSY's fate in mining scam to be decided this week

The Central Empowered Committee (CEC) which is going through documents on the mining scam allegedly involving former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa and his family members is likely to take a decision by this weekend on referring the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The CEC, which has been asked by the Supreme Court to submit its recommendation on whether money transactions between mining firms and trusts run by the former CM and his family members were fit cases to be referred to the CBI, has already completed its hearing.

“The CEC will decide on whether the corruption cases faced by Yeddyurappa and his family members were fit to be handed over to the CBI or not by the end of this week and submit its recommendations to the Supreme Court,” sources said.

The panel is also studying whether the charges are politically motivated or really there was a quid pro quo between the mining companies and Yeddyurappa and his family. The panel is also studying whether it would be right to order the probe from a central agency when the Lokayukta court was already hearing cases pertaining to corruption charges.

Samaj Parivartana Samudaya (SPS) has been fighting corruption cases and taking up environmental issues. Petitioners S R Hiremath P Vishnu Kamath from Samaj Parivartana Samudaya (SPS) had submitted a bundle of documents to the CEC, including donations received by over 12 firms and trusts run by family members of Yeddyurappa, including Prerana Trust, Bhagat Homes Private Limited, Davalagiri Property Developers Private Ltd and Sahyadri Health Care Ltd. The documents pertaining to land denotifications during Yeddyurappa’s tenure were also submitted to the CEC.

The petitioners said that Rs 553 crore was received by these firms run by family members of former Chief Minister as advances from private companies.

The petitioners said documents showed companies belonging to family members of Yeddyurappa allegedly received Rs 6 crore from R Praveen Chandra, who got the mining lease in Chitradurga district.

The petitioners said the state government had granted mining lease to Praveen Chandra (who is also legal heir of late E Ramamurthy) to excavate iron ore and manganese mining in 132.2 hectare in Ramajjanahalli Kaval and Mallapur in Hosadurga taluk of Chitradurga district.

Notification granting permission to Chandra was issued after the getting approval from the Union Ministry of Mines on October 12, 2010.