New Delhi: The Karnataka government Tuesday told the Supreme Court that it is going to revisit the issue of refusal of sanction sought to file an FIR against B S Yeddyurappa, the state’s ex-chief minister, in a corruption case in connection with an award of a BDA contract for building a housing complex.
Additional advocate general of Karnataka Aman Panwar contended before a bench led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud that the state government would revisit the matter as the charges are serious. Senior advocate Sidharth Luthra, representing Yeddyurappa, said that this does not only seem to be a case of "regime revenge" instead of "revenge transformation".
Luthra sought adjournment in the matter as he was in a part heard matter related to the quashing of the FIR against former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, which is presently being heard by another bench of the apex court. The bench, also comprising justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, said it would consider the matter after three weeks and allow the state government to formalise its decision.
The case is regarding the allegation of a Rs 12 crore bribe, to award a BDA contract for a construction firm to build a housing complex for the government during Yeddyurappa's tenure in 2019-21. A council, representing complainant activist T J Abraham, requested the bench to give a specific date of hearing as the matter has long remained as stayed.
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The apex court in September last year had ordered a stay on investigation in an FIR lodged by Lokayukta police against Yeddyurappa in the corruption case. Yeddyurappa moved the apex court questioning the validity of the Karnataka High Court, which ignored the fact that it was mandatory to obtain prior sanction before issuing an order for lodging the FIR.
The complainant, in the present case, sought sanction from the Governor which was declined. Besides Yeddyurappa, his son B Y Vijayendra, son-in-law Sanjay Shree, grandson Shashidhar Maradi and others were also named as accused by the complainant. In September 2022, the Karnataka High Court held that the rejection of sanction would not come in the way of proceedings against Yeddyurappa.
