Complaint against Shettar dismissed by Lokayukta court

Bangalore, Jul 24: The

court here has dismissed a private complaint filed against Chief Minister

on alleged irregularities in land denotification in 2006 and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on the complainant "for wasting the time of the court."

Lokayukta court judge NK Sundhindra Rao yesterday dismissed the complaint by city-based social activist SM Chetan, while also refusing his plea to withdraw it or file a fresh one.

Observing that the complaint was filed without requisite documents, the judge sought to know from Chetan, who claimed to be secretary of Bharatiya Vidyarthi Kriya Samithi, as to how he had filed the complaint without procuring the necessary documents and "taken the judicial time of the court for granted."

He directed the complainant to pay a fine of Rs 10,000 within a week, which would go to the state's drought relief fund.

Chetan in his complaint before the court on Jul 11, had alleged that Shettar denotified 178 acres of land in 2006 when he was Revenue Minister, violating rules and caused a revenue loss of Rs 250 crore to the state exchequer.

He pleaded for action under the provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act. Later, Chetan told reporters that he would challenge this order of dismissal in the Karnataka High Court.

PTI