SC closes matter related to Karnataka Housing Minister, wife in land denotification case

The Supreme Court has closed a matter against Karnataka Housing Minister V Somanna and his wife Shylaja, on a plea by Lokayukta police challenging the High Court's 2017 order that had quashed proceedings initiated against them in a land denotification case.

The case also involved Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa as denotification of 22 guntas land in Bengaluru's Nagadevanahalli in 2009 was undertaken during his previous tenure.

A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and M R Shah disposed of the special leave petition as it has become "infructuous".

The court was informed by senior advocate Yatindra Singh and advocate Sanjay M Nuli, appearing for Somanna and wife that the trial court has accepted a closure report in the matter, subsequent to the High Court's order of January 2, 2017.

The Lokayukta police, represented by advocate Shubhranshu Padhi proposed to assail the order by the trial court which accepted the closure report. He also did not dispute that the instant matter has become infructuous.

In its petition, the Lokayukta police had contended that the HC had wrongly set aside the summons issued by the Bengaluru court against Somanna, Shylaja and the other person, Lingaraju on April 13, 2012.

In a complaint, Ravi Krishna Reddy, a software engineer, alleged Yeddyurappa denotified 22 guntas of land in Nagadevanahalli in Bengaluru in 2009 to an education trust owned by Somanna's wife in violation of rules. The police, however, filed a closure report saying there was no evidence of any offence. Rejecting police report, the trial court took cognisance of the offences under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The special leave petition did not name Yeddyurappa as the High Court order was passed, on petition filed by Somanna, who is also holding portfolio of Karnataka Housing Minister, Shylaja and the other person.