ACB

Yeddyurappa

Anti-Corruption Bureau

issues summons the day after the former CM was booked in a caseFormer chief minister and state BJP chief BShas been asked to appear before the(ACB) the day after he was booked for irregularities in land denotification cases. The agency is learnt to have intensified its probe and it’s said that the former chief minister might even be arrested on Saturday.The BJP leader got the summons on a day when party workers protested at the Freedom Park demanding the arrest of Congress ministers Ramesh Jarkiholi and D K Shivakumar who recently came under I-T scanner. Politically, it’s said that the Congress is trying to hit back at theBJP for having put Shivakumar under the I-T radar.Denotification of lands which Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) had acquired to build Shivaram Karanth Layout has put the former chief minister in the dock. ACB, which has taken up cases in two instances, has called for records from different departments, including BDA to proceed further in the case. BDA had notified 3,546 acres for the disputed housing project.The first instance pertains to a complaint by Jana Samanya Vedike, an NGO. Yeddyurappa was accused of denotifying a land [bearing survey no 109/1, measuring 3 acre 6 gunta at Avalahalli], going against BDA’s recommendation and even without the denotification committee’s approval. The case pertains to one Asha Pardeshi.Though her name had not reflected in land records, she sought dropping of the said land from the acquisition process in January, 2009. Her name had started reflecting in land records only in 2011-12. However, she had applied with the CM’s Office seeking denotification.BDA, in its report, had opined against the dropping of land from acquisition, stating that the land was situated in the middle of proposed layout. Subsequently, even without taking opinion of the denotification committee, Yeddyurappa, then chief minister, had reportedly passed an order dropping the land from acquisition. BDA, on the other hand, had in turn passed an order even without placing the subject before the board.Besides Yeddyurappa, ACB has taken up case under Prevention of Corruption Act against Gowrishankar SN, then deputy commissioner and officers Premachandra, under-secretary, Basavaraju, deputy secretary, Subir Harisingh, additional chief secretary, who were then with the urban development department. Another case pertains to denotification of lands measuring 18 gunta at survey no.22/2 and 1 acre 8 gunta in survey no.24/1.Close to over 20 cases have so far come into light. This includes lands measuring over 40 acres in Ramagondanahalli, BM Kaval, Kempanahalli (Yelahanka hobli), 48 acres in the same villages, 23 acres 8 gunta in Avalahalli (Yelahanka Hobli), 57 acres in Ramagondanahalli and Avalahalli (Yelahanka), 12 acres in Somashetti halli, Yeshwantpur,16 acres 16 guntas in Byalakere, Hesarghatta (hobli), according to an ACB source.Sources said ACB may carry out raids anytime to seize other required and supportive documents. Yeddyurappa had lost his chiefministership in a similar denotification case when Lokayukta police had arrested him in October 2011.