Two FIRs had been filed against BS Yeddyurappa by the Anti-Corruption Bureau in Karnataka.
Former Karnataka chief minister and state BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa has moved the high court, seeking quashing of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) proceedings against him in connection with an alleged illegal land de-notification.
He filed the petition in the Karnataka High Court yesterday after the ACB had summoned him to appear before it. Mr Yeddyurappa has been accused of de-notifying 257 acres of land from a preliminary notification of 3,546 acres, meant for the formation of the Dr K Shivaram Karanth Layout, "bypassing" the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) committee's approval, when he was the chief minister between May, 2008 and July, 2011.
Two FIRs had been filed against the BJP leader, based on a complaint by a member of the 'Jana Samanya Vedike', a social organisation.
In his petition, Mr Yeddyurappa alleged that the ACB was being used to target the opposition leaders in the state, "in retaliation" to the recent Income Tax raids on Karnataka Energy Minister D K Shivakumar's properties. He also charged that the FIRs against him were a result of "political vendetta and mala fide intentions".
The former chief minister contended that there was no question of any denotification of land by him since the entire land acquisition was quashed by the high court in 2014.
Mr Yeddyurappa, who was asked to appear before the ACB yesterday, has sought 10 days' time, saying he needed to gather all the facts related to the matter.
Pointing out that there was a gap of only two days between the date of issuing the summons and the date of appearance, Mr Yeddyurappa said upon his request, he was given the copies of the complaint and the FIR, along with the preliminary inquiry report, only on August 18.