Supreme Court panel recommends CBI probe against Yeddyurappa

Bangalore: BJP Karnataka strongman BS Yeddyurappa's plans for a political comeback might have to be held in abeyance. A central empowered committee of the Supreme Court has recommended a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against the former Chief Minister in a case relating to alleged irregularities in denotification of land and kickbacks related to illegal mining. The Supreme Court will take a final decision on whether to order that CBI investigation or not.

The panel has suggested that the CBI should investigate in detail, alleged misuse of office by Mr Yeddyurappa as Chief Minister, noting that prima facie massive illegalities seemed to have taken place, including serious violation of rules to de-notify agricultural land, allowing the BJP leader's relatives to make a huge windfall when they resold de-notified land at an enormous profit.

The court panel has recommended that the CBI investigate cases of de-notification of Bangalore Development Authority land. It has also suggested that the CBI investigate the link between Mr Yeddyurappa allegedly favouring some companies in mining deals - South West Mining, a subsidiary of Jindal Steel, which allegedly made donations worth crores to the Prerna Educational Society Trust set up and run by Mr Yeddyurappa's family members.

The top court, though, is likely to examine the panel's report only next week as an appeal against the quashing of the FIR against Mr Yeddyurappa in the case will be heard by another bench of the court. 

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In Bangalore, a defiant Mr Yeddyurappa pointed out that this was "still a recommendation and not an indictment." He said he had "I have full faith in the judiciary and I will get justice."

Mr Yeddyurappa was asked by his party leadership to step down as Chief Minister last year after he was strongly indicted for corruption by the Karnataka Lokayukta in a report on illegal mining.

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In March this year, after the Karnataka High Court declared as "bad in law" a chapter in the Lokayukta report that indicted Mr Yeddyurappa on illegal mining and quashed an FIR against him based on it, he began a concerted effort to make a comeback as Karnataka CM. He gathered MLAs loyal to him - a majority of the 120 ruling party MLAs - and sent word that now that he had been vindicated, he should be reinstated.

After a public standoff, the BJP leadership stepped in to say there would not be a change in leadership yet; party president Nitin Gadkari asked Mr Yeddyurappa to be patient.  The Lingayat strongman has been quiet since then, waiting.

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The current CM, Sadanand Gowda, was handpicked by Yeddyurappa himself, and the latter always saw the arrangement as a holding act till he was back. But Mr Gowda has since declared that he is here to stay. But Mr Gowda too said today, "This is just a recommendation and not an indictment...We have faith that the Supreme Court will take the right decision."