K'taka Home Dept's nod awaited to sue BJP legislator

Bangalore, July 24 (UNI) Necessary preparations have been completed for filing criminal and defamatory cases against suspended BJP member G Janardhan Reddy for making deregotary remarks against Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and two of his ministerial colleagues while levelling bribery charges against them.

Official sources told UNI that the necessary pre-filing process had been completed in a fast track court. ''We have completed all paper work and it is for the Home Ministry to decide the timing for filing of the case.'' Meanwhile, Mr Reddy, who had claimed that he had evidences to prove his charges, filed a private criminal defamation suit against Mr Kumaraswamy, Home Minister M P Prakash and Forests Minister C Chennigappa without naming their designations in the Judicial First Class Junior Division Court at Bellary, under section 200 of the CrPC.

The judge posted the case for hearing tomorrow.

The Department officials, who had drafted the defamatory complaint against Mr Reddy, named the state government as the aggrieved party without mentioning the names of Mr Kumaraswamy and the two ministers.

The state government was yet to announce the Public Prosecutor's name to represent its case.

The decision to file a criminal defamatory suit against Mr Reddy was taken by the state cabinet.

Mr Reddy's recent allegation that Mr Kumaraswamy and Mr Chennigappa had received a bribe of Rs 150 crore from the mining lobby in Bellary district had snowballed into a major controversy.

UNI RS/MV RG PK ND2134