JOIN USThe Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing extortion and corruption within Lokayukta, on Wednesday filed the charge sheet in the 5th case.
With this the SIT, which is probing cases against the extortion gang led by Yerabati Ashwin, son of former Lokayukta Justice Y Bhaskar Rao, has completed filing of charge sheets in all the five FIRs.
In all the earlier charge sheets, the SIT has named Ashwin as the prime accused, along with other accused, suspended Joint Commissioner Lokayukta (PRO) Syed Riyaz, V Bhaskar, Ashok Kumar, Srinivasa Gowda, H S Rajashekhar, Narasimha Rao and Sadiq Pasha.
The fifth case was registered based on a complaint by M Srinivas, a resident of Katriguppe. The accused named in the charge sheet are Krishna alias Hotte Krishna, a tout who used to operate around Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) office, Y Ashwin and a clerk in the DGP office N Narasimha Murthy.
The charge sheet stated that complainant Srinivas' land was acquired by the BDA in 1963 for creating a residential layout. Since Srinivas was not satisfied with the compensation, he moved the High Court and the court directed the BDA to allot him an alternative site in HSR Layout.
Srinivas further demanded one more site claiming that one site alloted was not proportionate to the land acquired. When Srinivas was looking for some help to get one more site from the BDA, he came into contact with Hotte Krishna who offered help through Ashwin.
An official said that Hotte Krishna told Srinivas that his request for an additional site will be processed through Ashwin's contact with BDA Commissioner T Sham Bhat.
The police stated that Krishna demanded Rs 15 lakh for this work and received an advance amount of Rs three lakh. The charge sheet states that Narasimha Murthy and Hotte Krishna pressured Sham Bhat to allot another site to Srinivas.
However, a little later Srinivas received a letter from the BDA rejecting his appeal for an additional site. Srinivas filed a complaint with the Lokayukta police which was transferred to the SIT. A senior police official from the SIT said that charges have been framed under Sections 384, 420, 120 (b) of IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act. The charge sheet runs into 1,040 pages and lists 137 persons as witnesses.
“We had to file the preliminary charge sheets in all the cases not only in view of the 60 days stipulated time period, but also in view of pending appeal before the apex court. Form now, we will start working on additional charge sheets, if any and also work towards taking these cases to the finality. We have to submit the final reports in all the cases.
The Supreme Court has posted further hearing on the appeal filed by the accused seeking bail to January 4,'' ADGP (Prisons) and chief of SIT Kamal Pant said.