The Supreme Court on Friday stayed proceedings against former Karnataka chief minister and senior BJP leader B S Yediyurappa in an alleged corruption case. A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and Hima Kohli issued notice to the private complainant on a plea challenging the Karnataka High Court order restoring the complaint against Yediyurappa and others.
"There shall be a stay of proceedings so far as the petitioner is concerned," the bench said. Appearing on behalf of the former Karnataka CM, senior advocates Mr Siddharth Dave and Mr Mukul Rohatgi argued that the Prevention of Corruption Act (PC Act) requires prior sanction before conducting any kinds of enquiry or investigation into the offences made with regard to the decisions or actions of a public servant.
The Karnataka High Court on September 7 had restored a private complaint against Yediyurappa and his family members. The complainant had accused him of taking bribes for awarding government contracts.
A Sessions court had earlier dismissed a plea seeking a probe into the allegations of corruption against Yediyurappa as the then Governor had refused to sanction it.
TJ Abraham, a social activist, had lodged the complaint alleging that Yediyurappa and his family members had taken bribe from Ramalingam Construction Company and other shell companies in return for awarding Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) contracts. 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.
On September 16, Karnataka Lokayukta police registered a First Information Report(FIR) against Yediyurappa, his son and state BJP vice president BY Vijayendra, and three of their family members in a corruption case. They were booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) and Indian Penal Code.
After the Karnataka Lokayukta police filed an FIR against him, Yediyurappa, on September 19 moved the Supreme Court seeking the quashing of the case.