Megacity Scam: HC quashes SFIO cases against Yogeeshawara

Karnataka High Court today quashed cases filed by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office against state Forest Minister C P Yogeeshawara in a lower court in connection with the megacity project scam in view of criminal cases filed by Registrar of Companies for same offences.

Justice H N Nagamohan Das allowed three petitions filed by Yogeeshwara seeking quashing of the proceedings in cases which are pending before the Special Court of Economic Offence on the ground that already Registrar of Companies had filed criminal case alleging same offences against him and others.

Therefore, the SFIO under the Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs cannot maintain the cases on the very same ground, the court observed, adding, "the petitioner cannot be subjected two cases alleging similar offence and since it would amount to "double jeopardy, it is liable to be quashed". Another criminal petition seeking quashing of another case was disposed of on the ground that it had been transferred to the Special Court from a lower court for common evidence to be recorded and the case to be decided on merit.

Yet another petition seeking quashing of one more case was dismissed as withdrawn. In all Yogeeshwara had filed 19 criminal petitions seeking quashing of various cases and anticipatory bail, out of which five had been withdrawn, including one today.

The remaining 10 petitions will be heard on November 22. Yogeeshwara is facing 14 cases concerning the Mega City (Bangalore) Builders and Developers Ltd (MDBL), an entity floated by him in April 2009.