Yeddyurappa gets clean chit in one case

In a relief to former Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, the Lokayukta police on Monday gave a clean chit to him in a private complaint that alleged irregularities by him in awarding an irrigation project to a private firm for pecuniary gains.

The Lokayukta police in its report submitted in the Lokayukta court declared that it found no evidence against Mr. Yeddyurappa after it probed the charges by JDS leader Y S V Datta relating to the project in Upper Bhadra river area.

Lokayukta court judge N K Sudhindra Rao adjourned further hearing to February 23.

Investigating Officer Dy. SP Girish S, in his report, stated that "there was no illegal favour found in the allotment of tender to R N Infrastructure Limited".

On October 26 last, the court had directed the Lokayukta police to submit its status report within one month in the case filed against Mr. Yeddyurappa and his family members.

Mr. Datta had alleged that Mr. Yeddyurappa received Rs 13 crore kickback for awarding the second stage Upper Bhadra Irrigation project to R N Infrastructure Limited, though the firm was the highest bidder, ignoring the claims of the lowest bidders.

He had alleged that the firm had transferred the amount to Dhavalagiri Developers and Sahyadri Healthcare, owned and managed by Mr. Yeddyurappa's sons and son-in-law.

Mr. Yeddyurappa, however, was granted anticipatory bail by the high court in the Upper Bhadra case.

Apart from this Mr. Yeddyurappa is facing six other private complaints accusing him of abusing his power as chief minister by ordering denotification of land acquired by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA).

Source: The Hindu