The Supreme Court on Monday will take up for hearing Central Empowered Committee (CEC) recommendations for probe by an independent investigating agency such as CBI pertaining to alleged land denotifications done by former Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa and donations received from mining companies by trusts owned by BJP leader’s family.
The apex court Green Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Justice S H Kapadia, which is hearing illegal mining cases in Karnataka, will take up the matter. The Bench will also hear the matter pertaining to reclamation and rehabilitation and categorisation of mining leases in the State.
The CEC in its report submitted to the apex court on April 20 suggested that the probe by an independent agency was essential to unearth any quid pro quo in granting mining leases as well as donations received by trusts by former chief minister Yeddyurappa’s kin from corporate houses.
The panel also recommended probing all denotification done by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) since its inception to uncover any irregularities and procedural lapses. The CEC made this suggestion after hearing the petition filed by Dharwad based NGO Samaj Parivartan Samudaya.
BJP awaits verdict
The Bharatiya Janata Party central leadership, which is seized of the matter pertaining to the demand made by Yeddyurappa to reinstate him as Karnataka chief minister, is eagerly waiting for the Supreme Court decision. Based on the apex court’s verdict on the CEC suggestions, the BJP high command may take a decision on whether to give the nod to Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda to go ahead with expansion of his cabinet or not. The party is also waiting for the verdict before giving any post to Yeddyurappa in the organisation as demanded by his followers.
Earlier, the CEC made some serious observations while launching a scathing attack on the way land was denotified and huge sums were paid to the Prerana Trust, run by the members of the family of the former chief minister, calling it a “windfall gain”. It pointed to the serious violations of the relevant Acts and procedural lapses and prima facie misuse of office by Yeddyurappa.
Independent agency
The panel recommended the independent agency probe into the Prerana Education Society set up by the kin of Yeddyurappa, receiving Rs 10 crore from South West Mining Limited, a Jindal Group Company, denotification of Rachenahalli land and subsequent purchasing of it by South West Mining Company from the kin of the former chief minister and Rs 6 crore payment made by Praveen Chandra, a mining lease holder, to Bhagat Homes Private Limited and Davalagiri Property Developers Private Limited.
