HC grants relief to Yeddyurappa in graft case

In a relief to former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, the Karnataka High Court on Friday stayed proceedings in two private complaints pending against him in a Lokayukta court until further orders.

Justice B S Patil granted the stay on two petitions filed by Yeddyurappa seeking quashing of the lower court order taking cognisance of the complaints filed by a city-based advocate alleging illegal denotification of government land for pecuniary gains.

Observing that "the grounds and the prayer in the petitions were almost similar", the court granted stay until further orders and posted the matter to October 14 for further hearing.

Earlier, taking serious objection to the conduct of the complainant and his counsel Hazmath Pasha who sought further time despite five days of arguments, Justice Patil observed the counsel was not "only abusing the process of law" but "trying to protract the proceedings".

Pasha submitted he had filed a caveat on the petition relating to the second complaint in which Yeddyurappa, his two sons and his son-in-law are among the accused. But the court pointed out that the caveat related to the petition challenging the governor's sanction for prosecution of Yeddyurappa and not to the present case.

Pasha said that the court had passed the stay order without hearing the petition in the second complaint and that it would be challenged.

In all, five complaints comprising 15 cases were filed by city-based advocate Sirajin Basha in January. The Lokayukta court in August summoned Yeddyurappa and the other accused in two complaints.

In both the complaints, Yeddyurappa is the main accused.