Former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and Housing Minister V Somanna appeared before the Lokayukta special court in a case of alleged illegal land denotification on Wednesday. Judge N.K. Sudhindra Rao posted the case to June 30.
The judge, in April, directed Mr Yeddyurappa, Mr Somanna, his wife Shylaja and another accused Lingaraju to appear before the court. The Lokayukta police, who were investigating the case, filed a ‘B’ report on March 31, absolving Mr Somanna of charges of “misusing his position’ in the case. The police stated that Mr Somanna was neither an MLA, nor a minister when 22 guntas of land was denotified.
The other accused in the case, including Mr Yeddyurappa, were also absolved of all charges. The B report was challenged by the complainant, Ravi Krishna Reddy, on March 29 and the Lokayukta court rejected the B report and issued summons to the four accused. The Karnataka High Court granted anticipatory bail to all the accused in the case on January 17.
Before adjourning the case, the court granted bail to the accused after they produced sureties. The complainant alleged that Mr Somanna used his position as a minister to secure denotification of land in Nagadevanahalli for constructing an educational institution run by his wife. The land had already been acquired by the BDA. After the Lokayukta court took cognisance of the complaint, all the four moved the High Court for anticipatory bail. Mr Yeddyurappa, who was in power then, allegedly ordered denotification of the land on the request of erstwhile land owner Lingaraju.