Former IT and BT minister Katta Subramanya Naidu appeared before the special Lok Ayukta court for the hearing in the multi-crore Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) scam on Saturday.
Katta’s counsel filed a bail application while public prosecutor IS Pramod Chandra filed a 44-page statement of objections opposing bail to the former minister.
Nine persons, including Katta and his corporator-son Jagadish and another councillor, M Gopi, have been chargesheeted by the Lok Ayukta police in connection with the KIADB land scam. The Lok Ayukta special court had issued summons to the accused to appear before the court.
Advocate Gajendra Naidu, representing Katta, said the copies of the chargesheet had not been provided to all the accused and they would like to study the charge sheet documents.
Chandra filed a statement of objections opposing bail to Katta, stating that the former minister could abuse of the state machinery’s powers if he is granted bail. He stated a precedent where land was allotted to Itaska Company and this constituted abuse of power by Katta.
Special judge Sudheendra Rao said the next hearing would be on July 26. He directed that the copies of the charge sheet be provided to the accused.
Charge sheets were also filed against Itaska Software’s managing director SV Srinivas, Indu Builders and Developers’ partners Venkaiah and Jaggaiah, United Telecom Company’s managing director C Basava Poornaiah, retired KAS officer and KIADB’s special land acquisition officer TP Muninarayanappa, and gram panchayat member BK Manju.
