Mining case: SC allows SMK's plea for deferring hearing for two weeks

The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed an appeal made on behalf of former Karnataka chief minister S M Krishna to defer the hearing in a case pertaining to dereserving of thousand of acres of mineral-rich forest land in Ballari and other areas.

A bench of Justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan allowed a request for adjourning the matter and posted for hearing on September 12, for further two weeks.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi cited some personal difficulty to argue the matter on scheduled date.

On instructions, advocate Joseph Aristotle, representing the Karnataka government, opposed the plea. He said the matter has already been delayed.

 The apex court had on January 27, 2012 granted stay in favour of Krishna in the case.

However on March 29 this year, the court allowed Karnataka Lokayukta’s SIT to investigate former chief minister
H D Kumaraswamy and others in alleged illegalities in grant of mining lease in favour of M/s Sri Sai Venkateshwara Minerals, renewal of mining lease to Janthakal Enterprises and payment of Rs 150 crore bribe.

Activist T J Abraham had failed complaint in the matter by relying upon a report prepared by then Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde, indicting then chief ministers Kumaraswamy, N Dharam Singh and other bureaucrats in dereservation of 11,797 square kilometres of forest land in 2002-03 in Ballari district and grant of illegal lease resulting in huge loss to the government.