Denotification: HC relief to Somanna, wife

The high court on Monday set aside a lower court order which had taken cognizance of a denotification case against former minister V Somanna.

 Justice Rathnakala, allowing the petition filed by Somanna, his wife Shylaja and land owner D Lingaiah, directed the lower court to re-examine the order.

A private complaint was registered with the Lokayukta police accusing Somanna of abusing his office to denotify 22 guntas of land in Nagadevanahalli village, Kengeri, Bengaluru South taluk. The complaint stated that his wife was running an educational institution on the land though the land was acquired by Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA).

The Lokayukta police, which was probing the complaint, found no case or abuse of office and filed a B-report, absolving Somanna of the charges. However, the lower court took cognizance of the case and ordered re-investigation of charges against Somanna and issued summons. Somanna, his wife and D Lingaiah filed a criminal revision petition in the high court questioning the summons of the lower court order. The high court judge set aside the lower court order quashing the summons on the grounds that the lower court had not followed legal procedures while ordering re-investigation into the matter.