Bengaluru
In a major jolt to Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, the Karnataka High Court has refused to entertain his plea to quash a special court order for Lokayukta cases to probe a land denotification complaint lodged against him in 2013.
The court order comes at a time when there is a buzz the BJP high command plans to replace the CM ahead of the 2023 assembly poll.
In his order, Justice John Michel Cunha observed he cannot accept the arguments placed by Yediyurappa's counsel the FIR be quashed.
The order also directed the Lokayukta court to keep a strict watch over the probe by the criminal court in respect of the misconduct of public servants, MPs and MLAs involved in the commission of criminal offences.
The court found the allegation prima facie disclosed cognisance in so far as the petitioner (Yediyurappa) needs to be investigated.
The case pertains to a complaint against Yediyurappa stating when he was the Dy CM in 2006, he had ordered the illegal deletion of land notified for IT parks in and around Bellandur and Devarabisanahalli.
The complainant, Vasudeva Reddy, had stated Yeddyurappa ordered the denotification of four acres 30 guntas and following the denotification, the lands were diverted for residential purpose.
Karnataka Rashtra Samiti president Ravi Krishna Reddy said the CM should resign to facilitate a fair probe.
Sources said the CM will move the SC when it reopens after winter vacation early January.
