BS Yediyurappa Gets Relief From Supreme Court In Corruption Case

Former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa won a reprieve today from the Supreme Court, which put on hold criminal proceedings in a corruption case against him.

The Karnataka High Court had earlier refused to cancel an FIR (First Information Report) registered against Mr Yediyurappa, 79, in a land allocation scam. 

The senior BJP leader is accused of releasing acres of land acquired by the state government and illegally allotting the land to entrepreneurs in 2006-7, when he was Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka. A case was registered against him under the Prevention of Corruption Act. 

In 2020, the High Court rejected his request that the FIR registered by the Karnataka Lokayukta police be cancelled. High Court judge John Michael Cunha reprimanded the police for delaying the investigation and said, "The circumstances clearly indicate the delay is intentional and deliberate."

The FIR was registered in 2013 after a police complaint against Mr Yediyurappa.

The complaint said the Karnataka government had acquired more than 400 acres of land in Bellandur, Devarabeesanahalli and other areas to develop an Information Technology park but Mr Yediyurappa released parts of that land to private owners.

The Karnataka anti-corruption watchdog, the Lokayukta, said in its report that there was "no payment of bribe" to Mr Yediyurappa and there was no material or evidence to file a chargesheet against him.

The report was rejected by a special court.

Mr Yediyurappa then approached the High Court asking that the FIR against him be cancelled, as it had been in the case involving another accused, Congress's RV Deshpande. But his request was rejected.

The BJP leader has argued in court that there was no corruption involved, that he had not abused his position for money and that his actions were within his administrative powers.