Lokayukta court dismisses cases against Yeddyurappa, Eswarappa citing insufficient documents

In a shocking turn of events, a Special Lokayukta Court in Shivamogga dismissed all three cases filed against BJP President BS Yeddyurappa and another case filed against Leader of Opposition in Vidhana Parishad, Eshwarappa on Thursday.

Three cases are related to Yeddyurappa’s alleged benami purchase of land, encroachment of forest land and nepotism.

Yeddyurappa was accused of illegally de-notifying 69 acres of forest land in Hunsekatte in Bhadravathi taluk when he was in power.

Yeddyurappa, his son BY Raghavendra and five others are accused in the case. Vinod had alleged that the five others were “benamidaars” of Yeddyurappa, and two months after the de-notification, they had executed a sale deed in favour of Dhavalagiri Properties, a company owned by Yeddyurappa’s sons.

Eshwarappa was accused of possessing disproportionate assets worth Rs 40 lakh after the Lokayukta had launched an investigation in 2012.

In October 2014, the Karnataka HC had quashed the cases against both the BJP leaders stating that the state government had not issued a sanction for prosecution, given that Yeddyurappa was Chief Minister and Edwarappa was the Deputy CM.

The Karnataka High Court had directed the Special Lokayukta court in October 2014 to conduct a fresh trial into the cases. The court had not completely dismissed the case but had transferred the case on the grounds that the sworn statement of the petitioner had not been recorded.

However more than two years later, the Special Lokayukta court dismissed the cases on Thursday citing lack of sufficient dcocuments.

“The court has dismissed the case on the grounds that the documents furnished by the petitioners were insufficient,” said Eshwarappa’s advocate, Ashok Bhat.

The dismissal, however, shocked advocate Vinod Shimoga, the petitioner in the case, who said, “The Karnataka HC had directed the Lokayukta Court to record the sworn statement and proceed in accordance with the law. Once the statement was recorded, the court has to issue summons. Then the arguments and counter arguments are presented after which the evidence is examined and a judgement is given. The merits of the documents is not looked into at the prima facie stage. This dismissal has shocked a lot of advocate.”