BDA denotification under lens

The investigation ordered by the Supreme Court into alleged illegalities indulged in by former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa will also cover the denotification of land by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA).

The probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) also extends to the payment made by mining baron Praveen Chandra to firms owned by the kin of the former chief minister.

As per the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) recommendation, the CBI will go into all the denotifications done by the BDA in the past to find out any flouting of the rules laid down. The apex court order quoted the CEC suggestion which said, “The agency may also be directed to investigate into other similar cases, if any, of lands de-notified from acquisition by the BDA and the illegalities / irregularities / procedural lapses, if any, and to take follow up action.”

A probe on denotification done by the previous governments via the BDA would bring former chief ministers, urban development ministers and officials under the scanner. 

The cases relating to payments made by R Praveen Chandra are also likely to be investigated by the CBI as mentioned in the Supreme Court order. Chandra had made two payments–one of Rs 2.5 crore to Bhagat Homes Pvt Ltd and the other of Rs 3.5 crore—to Dhavalagiri Property Developers Private Ltd.

The directors of these two companies are members of Yeddyurappa’s family. During the same period in 2008, Chandra received mining licences in Ramajjanahalli Kaval in Hosadurga taluk in Chitradurga district.

As the directors of these two companies are members of Yeddyurappa’s family, the CEC had earlier recommended the apex court that this case also should be probed by an independent agency to unearth any quid pro quo between Chandra making payment and mining leases granted to him.

Though Yeddyurappa claimed that as the Praveen Chandra payment case was being heard by the Lokayukta court in Bangalore and the same need not be probed by the CBI, the Supreme Court rejected it saying that all investigations being done by various investigating agencies and court should be stopped. “As the court order clearly stated that all suspected quid pro quo cases will be probed, payments made to Prerana Trust, including payment made by Praveen Chandra to two firms from Yeddyurappa family members will also come under the CBI probe,” petitioner P Vishnu Kamath from Samaj Parivatana Samudaya told Deccan Herald.

Besides, the Supreme Court ordering for transfer of all cases being investigated by other agencies to the CBI means the Praveen Chandra case will also come under the agency ambit.

Substantiating its decision of ordering for CBI probe despite the same case being probed by other agencies, the apex court said the investigation of a case or filing of charge sheet in a case does not by itself bring the absolute end to the exercise of power by the investigating agency or by the court. Sometimes, and particularly in the matters of the present kind, the investigating agency has to keep its options open to continue with the investigation, as certain other relevant facts, incriminating materials and even persons, other than the persons stated in the FIR as accused, might be involved in the commission of the crime.

Digging up the past

* CBI will go into all past notifications issued by the BDA to find out any violation of rules

* Several former chief ministers, urban development ministers and key officials may come under scanner

* Mining baron R Praveen Chandra’s ‘donations’ to two companies also to be probed

* Probe to look into whether there was any quid pro quo between Chandra and the companies, whose directors are Yeddyurappa’s kin