K'taka scandal: Hegde sumbits illegal mining report, BSY's fate hangs in the balance

Jul 27, 2011 |

Agencies

Bengaluru

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Karnataka Lokayukta today submitted its report on illegal mining to the state government, with the findings expected to determine the fate of Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa.

Lokayukta Registrar Moosa Kunhi Nayar Moole handed over the report to Chief Secretary S.V. Ranganath at the State Secretariat.

Contents of the voluminous report were not known immediately but as per the leaked versions, it has named Yeddyurappa, four ministers and former chief minister and JDS leader H.D. Kumaraswamy, among others.

The loss to the state exchequer because of illegal mining for 14 months - between March 2009 and April 2010 - had been pegged at more than Rs 1,827 crore.

Besides, it has reportedly named more than 500 officials.

"I have gone through a lot of turmoil...this thing...leakage and other things...lot of work has been done by Lokayukta staff (in compiling the report)...", Hegde said.

Asked if more than 500 officials and more than 100 politicians had been named, Hegde, a former Supreme Court judge, said: "I don't want to speak about the contents of the report. This is exactly what's been happening. I think it's not possible to keep all this (information) on the hold."

He had said earlier the report with annexures runs into 10,000 to 12,000 pages, with 'his own report of 450 to 500 pages'.
Yeddyurappa said earlier in the day that he would consult Cabinet colleagues and legal experts once he received the report, adding, he had told BJP President Nitin Gadkari he would bring the contents to his notice.

Hundreds of curious onlookers were outside the Lokayukta office complex, swarming with police personnel.

Moole, who was carrying a suitcase with the voluminous report, had a tough time walking from his car to the Vidhana Souda through the many camera crews jostling with each other to capture the moment.

Donations and a trust

The report also claims a mining company in Karnataka donated Rs 10 crore to a trust owned by Chief Minister's family members. The company also paid Rs 20 crore for purchase of land by the trust far above the guidance value which makes for an offence under Prevention of Corruption Act, Hegde added.

CM BSY dismissed the donation as illegal saying the firm only gave the money because it wanted to be allied with his son's 'famous' trust.

But Hegde maintains that the donation was made by the company for reasons other than genuine.

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