‘Case was split to send Yeddyurappa away for good’

Former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, on Saturday, did not appear before the Lok Ayukta special court hearing cases of alleged land de-notification. In a marathon session of over five hours, senior counsel UU Lalit, who is representing BS Yeddyurappa, argued that the allegations made against him were politically motivated.

Lalit stressed that the sanction against the former CM was period-specific and not instance-specific. He added that the allegations were made only when Yeddyurappa became the CM, not before that.

In the 15 instances of alleged illegal land de-notifications, the lawyers could have filed a joint complaint, but on the contrary, advocate Sirajin Basha split them into five complaints so that Yeddyurappa could be put in jail. The bifurcation of the complaint is illegal and shows the complaint is motivated, said Lalit.

When the complainants were taken to the governor HR Bhardwaj for his sanction for prosecution, the governor accorded sanction to one complaint. The 15 instances were a collective spectrum that was deliberately split into five complaints before the Lok Ayukta special court.

If punishment for one complaint is imprisonment for seven years, then for five cases, it would be 35 years. The governor himself would not have contemplated this when he had accorded sanction. Initially, there were 13 accused. Now, since the complaint is split into five, there are 43 accused, argued Lalit.

Lalit said that granting bail to Yeddyurappa does not mean he is a free man since there would be conditions imposed and the former CM would be available to face the process of law.

Lalit objected to Basha’s senior counsel CH Hanumantharaya being the public prosecutor in this case. It is dangerous to give a public prosecutor authority to a private complainant, he said.

With regard to the third and fourth complaints, counsel Ravi B Naik, who also represented Yeddyurappa, filed applications seeking exemption for Yeddyurappa. Justice NK Sudhindra Rao granted the exemption.

Hanumantharaya filed objections to the bail applications and nine others with regard to the third and fourth private complaint. These cases have been adjourned to September 19.

The fifth and sixth complaints will be heard on September 24.