An RTI activist today challenged filing of a "B" report by Lok Ayukta police, giving a clean chit to Karnataka Home Minister R Ashoka in a case pertaining to alleged misuse of office in land denotification.
The activist Vijaykumar Hiremath, who had filed a private complaint, charging Ashoka with getting a piece of land denotified violating rules, filed an application in the Lokayuta court, challenging the Lokayukta police action in submitting a "B" report in the case.
Judge NK Sudhindra Rao adjourned the matter to February 10 for further hearing.
Lok Ayukta police on December 16 had filed the "B" report on the private complaint, giving a clean chit to Ashoka.
They had submitted a report to Lok Ayukta Judge N Sundhindra Rao, exonerating the minister of the charge into which it had ordered a probe, based on Hiremath's complaint.
They had also submitted it was the fault of the landowner and sub-registrar and not Ashoka for registering the property, which the minister had bought after it was notified by Bangalore Development Authority. As per law BDA notified land cannot be sold and sub registrars should not facilitate any such sale, it contended.
Moreover, Lok Ayukta police said the original land owner, not Ashoka, had given a letter to former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa, asking for denotification of the land.
Hiremath had filed the complaint accusing Ashoka of being involved in illegal denotification of government land, causing an estimated loss of Rs50 crore to the state exchequer.
He had alleged the minister had secured denotification of 23.12 guntas (a gunta is 1/40 of an acre) of land belonging to BDA when BS Yeddyurappa was Chief Minister.
Hiremath however, has said he would move the Supreme Court.
