Yeddyurappa avoids jail, moves to another hospital

Bangalore, Oct 18 (IANS) Former Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, arrested Saturday in corruption cases, Tuesday avoided going back to jail as he got himself shifted to a second hospital amid high drama.

The 68-year-old Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader was taken to Victoria Hospital in the central business district from Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Science and Research in south Bangalore, chased by scores of cameramen, photographers and reporters in cars and on two-wheelers.

Yeddyurappa moved to Victoria to avoid going back to jail after the high court put off to Oct 20 his interim bail plea.

He was shifted to the Jayadeva Institute early Sunday, within hours after being taken to the Bangalore Central Jail in the eastern suburb of Prappana Agrahara late Saturday as he complained of chest pain.

With an angiogram Monday at the Jayadeva Institute showing no blockages in heart, he was to be discharged from there, leaving little option to him but to go back to jail or move to another hospital.

Efforts of Yeddyurappa, his supporters and police to avoid media glare failed as scores of reporters, cameramen and photographers had positioned themselves at the two gates of the institute.

Though they followed the ambulance and host of police cars escorting it from Jayadeva Institute to Victoria Hospital, about six kilometers away, no one could get a glimpse of the arrested leader.

Policemen used a green bedspread to shut out the view of Yeddyurappa being wheeled from the ambulance to the ward at Victoria Hospital.

They had used similar tactics late Sunday when he was brought to Jayadeva Institute from the jail.

Yeddyurappa is a known diabetic, suffers from high blood pressure, back pain and a few minor ailments.

Earlier Tuesday, Justice B.V. Pinto adjourned to Oct 20 hearing on interim bail sought by Yeddyurappa.

Yeddyurappa filed two bail pleas in the high court Monday, one for interim bail and another for regular bail. He has sought interim bail as hearing in regular bail will take time.

Yeddyurappa was on Saturday sent to judicial custody till Oct 22 by special Lokayukta court judge N.K. Sudhindra Rao in two of five cases of corruption and illegal land deals filed by two Bangalore advocates in January this year.

The advocates, Sirajin Bhasha and N. K. Balaraj, have charged Yeddyurappa, his two sons - BJP Lok Sabha member B. Y. Raghavendra and B. Y. Vijayendra, son-in-law R. Sohan Kumar - of conspiracy to denotify government land in return for monetary gains.

Former state Muzrai (endowments) minister S.N. Krishnaiah Shetty, BJP legislator Hemachanda Sagar and several others are accused in the cases.

Rao has given conditional bail to all the accused, except Yeddyurappa and Shetty, who too has moved the high court for bail.

Shetty's bail plea will be heard Wednesday.