The Lokayukta special court on Thursday took cognizance of offences against former CM B.S. Yeddyurappa and former minister D.K. Shivakumar in the Benniganahalli denotification case. The court ordered summons to both and others, including Purvankara, represented by Mr Girish Purvankara, to appear before it on August 2.
The court also issued summons to government officials Hanumanthu and Doddahanumaiah, while sanction for prosecution is awaited against the then Bengaluru Urban special DC Rame Gowda and Sub-registrar Hamid Ali. The complainants in the case are T.J. Abraham, a social activist, and Kabbale Gowda, who filed the same complaint with an additional allegation against Mr Yeddyurappa linking his close confidant Lehar Singh.
The Lokayukta police had filed chargesheet against Mr Shivakumar and other government officials for illegal purchase, conversion and denotification of the prime land in Benniganahalli in K.R. Puram, but dropped charges against Mr Yeddyurappa and Mr Lehar Singh for lack of evidence. Lokayukta special court judge N.K. Sudhindra Rao, held that there was prima facie evidence against Mr Yeddyurappa and Prudential Housing and Infrastructure. The court observed though Purvankura claimed to have been unaware of Karnataka Land (Restrictions on Transfer) Act, it admitted to have been in real estate business since the last 27 years in the city.
“The then CM, who should have taken care of state property, passed an order ignoring the circumstances, much against public interest. There is prima facie evidence against the then CM to proceed further in the case,’’ the court said.