Bengaluru: At a time when Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa was battling crises on multiple fronts, there was some relief when the Supreme Court Monday stayed the Karnataka High Court order directing a trial court to proceed against him in a corruption case of allegedly denotifying some land to benefit private parties.
A bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde, hearing the CM's appeal against the HC order rejecting his plea seeking quashing of the criminal case, issued the notice and stayed the proceedings against him.
The HC had directed the special trial court to take cognisance of offences against Yediyurappa and proceed further in the matter on the basis of a charge sheet filed by the Lokayukta Police in 2012.
The high court had passed an order on the plea by complainant businessman Alam Pasha, who had claimed that the contract for the development of the housing construction project was "handed over" to shell companies to claim money and get control of large tracts of land.
Now, the Supreme Court has put a hold on the proceedings in the alleged corruption case. The Supreme Court has also issued notice to the state, Lokayukta and the complainant to respond to Yediyurappa's plea.