The High Court of
Karnataka has quashed a first information report (FIR) registered against
former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa for his alleged involvement in the land
denotification case of 2006.
The order was passed
last week by the Single-Judge Bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna on a petition
filed by the former CM seeking quashing of the FIR registered against him on
the basis of the 2012 report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of
India.
The Comptroller and
Auditor General (CAG) of India had tabled a report in the Karnataka Assembly on
March 30, 2012, alleging that the Yediyurappa-led government had denotified 15
acres and 30 guntas land in Bengaluru’s Bellandur and Devarabeesanahalli in
2006.
The report said the
decision lacked accountability and was implemented despite objections raised by
the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB).
Appearing for
Yediyurappa, Advocate Sandeep S Patil apprised the High Court that a coordinate
bench of the Court in 2015 had already addressed the allegations, ruling that
the CAG report could not serve as the basis for a criminal case and the CAG
could not be involved in the investigation.
Noting that the
issue had been comprehensively addressed in the coordinate bench verdict and
that the respondents did not dispute the stance, the Single Bench quashed the
proceedings.
The State of
Karnataka was represented by Advocates BS Prasad and KP Yashodha, while
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) H Shanti Bhushan appeared for CAG.
Earlier on January
24, the Supreme Court had rejected the application seeking to vacate an earlier
order of the Court restoring a criminal case in an alleged illegal land
denotification case against Yediyurappa and former State Industries Minister
Murugesh Nirani.