Lokayukta indicts BSY, Reddy brothers in illegal mining

Bangalore, July 27: The Lokayukta report on illegal mining today (Jul 27) strongly indicted Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, Reddy brothers and various others and recommended their prosecution under Prevention of Corruption Act and other laws.

In damning evidence against the Chief Minister, the Lokayukta headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Santosh Hegde found that a mining company had donated Rs 10 crore to a trust managed by his family members which also sold a piece of land to a mining company for Rs 20 crore far above the guidance value of Rs 1.4 crore.

After submitting the report running into 25,228 pages including annexures, Hegde told a press conference that he has named Chief Minister Yeddyurappa, former Chief Minister and JDS leader H D Kumaraswamy, Reddy brothers (who are ministers and mining magnates), their camp follower and another minister H Sriramulu, Congress MP Anil Lad's wife and over 600 officials in the mining racket that cost the exchequer Rs 16,085 crore between 2006 and 2010.

"Having come to the conclusion that there is as a matter of fact an offence made under the Prevention of Corruption Act I have made a recommendation to the Governor to take further action," Hegde said in respect of the donation made to the trust run by the Chief Minister's family members.

At another point, he said, "I have made a recommendation for prosecuting everybody. I have stated this to the Governor. It is for him to act."

To a question, he shot back, "Action under Prevention of Corruption Act should be taken. What else?."

The report castigated the BJP government, which is in power since May 2008, for its failure to check irregularities and illegalities in mining in the state.

"The enquiry has found large scale involvement of officials, powerful people both in the Administration as well as in the ground level," said Hegde whose main report runs into 943 pages.

PTI