Bangalore:
BS Yeddyurappa recently lost his job as Chief Minister of Karnataka, his hand-picked successor, Sadananda Gowda, is facing dissidence, but the tough times are certainly not over for Mr Yeddyurappa. He has now been asked to appear before the Lokayukta court on August 27 in connection with a land scam case.
Apart from Mr Yeddyurappa, the special Lokayukta court also issued summons to 14 others in connection with a private complaint against them alleging denotification of lands favouring Mr Yeddyurappa's family members.
"The honourable Special Court has issued summons to honourable former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa and 14 others," said AP Ranganath, JD(S) Advocate.
Two lawyers had approached Governor Bharadwaj for sanction to prosecute Mr Yeddyurappa in this case when he was still Chief Minister - that sanction was granted. The case pertains to denotification of over five acres of land, in and around Bangalore, to favour family members.
It may be some cold comfort for Mr Yeddyurappa that his baiter-in-chief, and predecessor in the Chief Minister's chair, HD Kumaraswamy has also been summoned, along with his wife Anita. Mr Kumaraswamy stands accused of allotting land to a private housing society - in return for which, his wife was allotted a site.
Even worse off is former minister in Mr Yeddyurappa's cabinet, Katta Subramanya Naidu. He along with his son Jagdish has been taken into judicial custody and will spend time behind bars for their alleged role in a land scam involving the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board. Mr Naidu and his son stand accused, among other charges, of forging documents to claim compensation for land acquired by the board, and of receiving kickbacks to the tune of Rs 87 crores for allotment of land to a private firm. The minister had resigned after being named in the Lokayukta's FIR.
Former Lokayukta, Santosh Hegde, who retired recently, is pleased that the work of his team does seem to be bearing fruit. "The Court has taken the preliminary step of issuing summons after the Lokayukta police investigation...I am very much satisfied. Not only in this case, but in the case of Katta Subramanya Naidu also, where bail has been refused today," he said.
Dubious land deals are apparently irresistible for Karnataka's senior politicians. Some are already paying a price - Mr Yeddyurappa has lost his Chief Minister's berth, Mr Naidu will be spending time behind bars, and Mr Kumaraswamy may find that despite all his allegations against Mr Yeddyurappa, some of the fingers are pointing back at him. And there will be more to come.