HC grants advance bail to Balakrishna Gowda

The High Court on Wednesday granted anticipatory bail to H D Balakrishna Gowda, the eldest son of former prime minister and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda.

Balakrishna Gowda is facing charges of amassing wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income in the Special Lokayukta Court. Justice V Jagannathan directed Balakrishna Gowda to furnish a personal bond for Rs two lakh and two sureties for the like sum. He has been directed to be present at all the hearings in the trial court. He has also been restrained from leaving the country without prior permission.

The Lokayukta police on August 7 filed a charge sheet against H D Balakrishna Gowda, a retired KAS officer.  

The Lokayukta police had submitted that the percentage of disproportionate assets was 43, during Balakrishna’s service as a KAS officer from 1985-2005.

Balakrishna sought voluntary retirement from service in April 2005. The amount of disproportionate assets according to the police was Rs 5.24 crore. The police were investigating the matter after the Court referred a private complaint filed by S N Balakrishna, a retired teacher, who claimed that Balakrishna had amassed wealth disproportionate to his income to the tune of several hundred crores though his income did not exceed Rs 27 lakh during his years of service.

Nithya case adjourned

The State government has sought two more days to file objections in the case filed by Nithyananda in the High Court, challenging the order of a Ramanagara court that medical tests be conducted on the self-styled godman. The High Court has already stayed the tests. The matter has been adjourned to August 24.