In yet another setback for former Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, the Karnataka high court on Monday dismissed his plea for anticipatory bail in the case over denotification of 2.15 acres of land in Arakere village by his government.
Dismissing Mr Yeddyu-rappa’s petition, Justice L. Narayana Swamy agreed with the respondents’ argument that witnesses could be tampered with if he was given anticipatory bail. “The court has to lean in favour of protection of society and the state,” it ruled.
Soon after this, the former chief minister appeared before a Lokayukta special court, which then ordered filing of a chargesheet against him and others.
A high court division bench comprising Jus-tices K.L. Manjunath and H.S. Kempanna also “dismissed as withdrawn” another petition seeking quashing of Chapter 22 of the Lokayukta report on illegal mining, which had indicted him.
The Lokayukta court had directed Mr B.S. Yeddyurappa to appear before it on Monday after granting him a day’s exemption on Saturday.
After Mr B.S. Yeddyurappa, his son B.Y. Raghavendra and others had appeared before the Lokayukta court, judge N.K. Sudhindra Rao directed the Lokayukta police to file a chargesheet against the accused in the private complaints filed by advocate Sirajin Basha, and adjourned the hearing to September 7.