Lokayukta to probe charges against Yeddyurappa

Beleaguered Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, who is already facing trouble with a new wave of dissidence in the party, suffered one more setback with the special Lokayukta court entrusting the alleged land scam complaint for investigation by the Lokayukta police.

Special judge C B Hipparagi on Thursday referred to the Lokayukta police for investigation, the first complaint involving three instances of denotification/illegal sale of land in the complaint filed against Yeddyurappa, his sons and son-in-law.

The judge also directed the Lokayukta police to file a report in six weeks' time on the chief minister, his two sons, B Y Vijayendra and B Y Raghavendra, son-in-law S N Sohan Kumar, former minister Ess En Krissnaiah Setty and the firm Dhavalagiri Properties, in which the chief minister's sons and former muzrai minister hold a stake.

The instances referred to in the complaint lodged by advocate Sirajin Basha includes denotification of 1 acre 12 guntas of survey no 55/2 of Rachenahalli village coming under KR Puram hobli in November 2008 and another 16 guntas of survey no. 56 of the same village, in favour of Dhavalagiri Properties. It also includes the sale of 47,972 sqft in Vyalikaval House Building Cooperative Society meant for laying a road to Dhavalagiri Properties, thus benefiting his two sons and son-in-law.

Sirajin Basha had filed five complaints, involving 15 instances against the CM and others after governor H R Bhardwaj accorded sanction for prosecuting the chief minister. Said Yeddyurappa: "I respect the decision. Let the truth prevail."