Payback for DK Shivakumar? Two FIRs Filed Against Yeddyurappa

After calling I-T department BJP’s political tool, Congress uses ACB against BJP.

Yeddyurappa (L) and Siddaramaiah (R).

(Photo: The News Minute)

Karnataka Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) has lodged two FIRs against BJP’s Karnataka president BS Yeddyurappa, who was announced the chief ministerial candidate for 2018 assembly elections recently. And these cases pertaining to illegal land-denotification, during his term as chief minister in 2009-2012, threaten his chances ahead of the elections.

The move is being seen as a payback for the I-T raids against congress leader DK Shivakumar, two weeks ago. Sources say following the raids, the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had held an unofficial meeting with the top brass of the ACB, where he had reportedly directed them to reopen major cases of corruption filed against BJP leaders.

During his visit to Bengaluru last week, BJP president Amit Shah had announced that his party will launch a campaign against the ‘corrupt leaders of congress party’, and under the leadership of Yeddyurappa, they will bring down the ‘corrupt congress government’. The FIRs came days after these announcements.

The cases filed by the ACB were related to the alleged illegal denotification of 257 acres of land, meant for the formation of Shivarama Karanth Layout by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA). The FIR said that 20 illegal orders were passed by Yeddyurappa, denotifying these lands, worth over Rs 3000 crores.

FIRs were registered under Sections 7, 8, 13(1) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Sections 406, 420 and 120(B) of the Indian Penal Code. The FIR has been registered based on the complaint filed by D Ayyappa, who is the former vice chancellor of a private university.