BSY no longer CM, no question of prosecution sanction: Governor

Governor Vajubhai Vala on Wednesday decided that the question of him granting sanction for the prosecution of BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa does not arise as he is no longer the chief minister.

The Governor's decision has come close on the heels of Karnataka High Court setting aside the order of sanction to prosecute Yeddyurappa in land denotification cases. A division bench of the High Court had remitted the matter to the Governor for reconsideration.

The Governor’s office has communicated the decision to Sirajin Basha and K N Balaraj, who had sought the prosecution permission.

The then Governor H R Bhardwaj in January 2011 granted prosecution permission to Yeddyurappa, who was chief minister then. Permission was granted to proceed against Yeddyurappa under various sections of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, the Indian Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code. As many as five FIRs were registered based on the complaints.

Yeddyurappa had moved the High Court challenging the legality of the order. He had sought the court to quash the order. When contacted, Sirajan Basha said the Governor's decision does not mean that the cases cannot be pursued.

“This is not the end of the case. We can always question the High Court order in the Supreme Court. The Governor's decision also means that there is no need for any permission to prosecute him (Yeddyurappa) now,” he added.