SC to hear plea over corruption case against Yeddyurappa

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a plea seeking to re-open a nine-year-old corruption case against former Karnataka Chief Minister leader B.S. Yeddyurappa and Congress leader D.K. Shivakumar.

However, a bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra said it will decide the locus standi of NGO Samaj Parivartana Samudaya, which is intervening and wants the case that was closed a few years ago re-opened.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the NGO, told the court that Yeddyurappa was likely to become the Chief Minister of Karnataka.

The bench said that it was not influenced by any name or by anybody and will hear the matter after two weeks.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Yeddyurappa, said the NGO was unnecessarily trying to open the corruption case that was quashed by the Karnataka High Court in December 2015.

The case relates to the denotification of 4.20 acre of land in contravention of the Karnataka (Restriction of Transfer) of Land Act.

It was alleged that land measuring 5.11 acres was said to have been purchased by one B.K. Srinivasan in 1962.

An extent of 4.20 acres of the land was said to have been converted from agricultural use to industrial use. The land was said to have been notified for acquisition under the provisions of the Bangalore Development Authority Act.

It was alleged that D.K. Shivakumar, after assuming office as the Minister for Urban Development and with the full knowledge that the land was notified for acquisition, purchased the land from Srinivasan, on December 18, 2003, for Rs 1.62 crore in contravention of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

It was alleged that the purchase was in violation of Section 3 of the Karnataka Restriction of Transfer of Land Act, which prohibits sale of land notified for acquisition.

Subsequently, Shivakumar converted the land for residential purposes in collusion with officials.

Later, he used his official position as an MLA and as a leader of the Congress to persuade the then Chief Minister Yeddyurappa to accord sanction for the withdrawal from acquisition in respect of the land on May 13, 2010.