High Court stays Lokayukta court summons to Yeddyurappa, his son

The High Court on Thursday stayed for 12 weeks the summons issued by the Lokayukta Special Court in Shivamogga against BJP’s state president B S Yeddyurappa and his son and Shikaripur MLA B Y Raghavendra. 

Hearing the petitions filed by Yeddyurappa and Raghavendra who sought quashing of the proceedings against them, Justice H Billappa gave a stay of 12 weeks on the summons and ordered that notice be issued to the private complainant, B Vinod, an advocate. 

Vinod had filed a private complaint before the Lokayukta court, accusing Yedyurappa and Raghavendra of encroaching upon 15 acres land in buffer zone in the reserve forest for tiger conservation in Hunasekatte village in Bhadravati taluk, Shivamogga district. Acting upon the complaint, the Lokayukta court summoned both Yeddyurappa and Raghavendra before it. 

The counsel representing Yeddyurappa and Raghavendra argued before the High Court that the private complainant didn’t give his statement before the Lokayukta court before filing the complaint as mandated by section 200 of the CrPC.