CBI heat on BSY: SC decision next week

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While asking some searching questions to the counsel of former Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa why the CBI investigation should not be ordered against him in three mining related alleged irregularities on the basis of the CEC report, it allowed him a day’s time to furnish entire documents about the pending cases in the Lokayukta court and Karnataka high court.

A forest bench of Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia and Justices Aftab Alam and Swatanter Kumar gave Mr Yeddyurappa’s counsel V. Giri time till 5 pm on Saturday to submit the documents along with a note indicating how they were relevant in the pending cases.

The SC said any order about the CBI probe will be passed next week after examining the papers. Identical direction was issued to C.S. Vaidyanathan, counsel for Jindal Steel, whose group company South West Mining Ltd was the alleged beneficiary in a mining-related land deal and had 'donated' Rs 20 crores to Prerna Education Society run by the kin of Mr Yeddyurappa, according to the CEC.

The documents were sought by the bench after Mr Giri and Mr Vaidyanathan 'resisted' an outright order for a CBI probe stating that it will set a bad precedent of 'parallel' inquiry while the cases related to the same issues were pending before the trial court and the HC against the former CM and the company.

Mr Giri said all the allegations raised by the CEC against Mr Yeddyurappa were based on the Lokayukta report, which was made the ground for filing of complaints by two private persons for registering three cases.

However, the one related to the land deal was quashed by the high court on March 27 against which an appeal is filed in the top court while some SLPs were withdrawn recently, hence there could not be a 'parallel' proceedings on these issue.

I will face the verdict boldly: BSY

Former chief minister B.S.Yeddyurappa said he would face the Supreme Court verdict boldly and not be evasive when the decision comes.

Speaking to reporters after reviewing the preparations for Saturday’s launch of projects in Shikaripur town on Friday, the former CM said: “I am confident I will come out clean. I will fight for the cause of the people”.

Sources said Mr Yeddyurappa has made the launch of new projects in his hometown a prestige issue with the rival BJP camp likely to boycott the event.

Before arriving in Shikaripur, the ex-CM visited temples and maths in Shimoga city to offer special pujas in view of the Supreme Court’s impending decision on the CEC recommendation for a CBI probe into the mining deals involving him. The shrines include Sri Raghavendra Swamy Math and Kote Marikamba Temple.