A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered by the Karnataka police against BJP veteran BS Yediyurappa, his son and state BJP vice-president BY Vijayendra and three of their family members in a corruption case. The accused have been booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) and Indian Penal Code by the Lokayukta police. The case pertains to irregularities in awarding of a Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) tender in Yediyurappa’s tenure between 2019 2021. Cooperation Minister and former BDA chairman ST Somasekhar and former BDA commissioner GC Prakash, along with two businessmen, have also been named as accused in the FIR.
The FIR was registered based on a complaint by social activist TJ Abraham, who accused BDA officials of demanding Rs 12 crore bribe to award a contract to a builder for the construction of a government building. Abraham had on September 14 approached a local court regarding the same, and the court had ordered the FIR to be registered.
TJ Abraham had approached the High Court last year as well, but it had dismissed the petition for want of sanction as Yediyurappa was then the Chief Minister.The plea alleged that Yediyurappa received kickbacks from contractors over a housing project of the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA). It is also alleged that Yediyurappa's family misused the Chief Minister's Office and kickbacks were received from contractors. It also charged the former Chief Minister with allotting, speeding, and approving projects to receive kickbacks. The complaint alleges that the money was transferred from bogus companies to the firms owned by the family members of Yediyurappa.
Reacting to the order, Yediyurappa said he has full confidence in the judiciary. "There is no truth in any of these allegations. I will come out of all these (cases). These things are natural, I'm not bothered about it," he said. He also claimed that the complaint was the result of a conspiracy against him.
With PTI inputs