BANGALORE: The 32nd Additional City and Sessions Judge, A.L. Pujar, on Monday took cognisance of the complaint filed by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy against the suspended BJP MLC, G. Janardhan Reddy. The complaint pertains to the charge made by Mr. Reddy that the Chief Minister had accepted Rs. 150 crore from mine owners in Bellary district.

The judge passed a 10-page order after considering the arguments made by Special Public Prosecutor C.H. Hanumantharaya and ordered issue of summons asking Mr. Reddy to appear before the court on September 4 at 11 a.m.

Mr. Hanumantharaya filed the complaint on behalf of Mr. Kumaraswamy after Mr. Reddy made an allegation that Mr. Kumaraswamy and two Ministers — M.P. Prakash, C. Chennigappa — had received the money from the mine owners. Mr. Reddy first made the allegation on July 7 and retracted it a few days later. On July 19 he repeated the allegation in the Legislative Council, which was not taken on record by the presiding officer. Mr. Reddy narrated the same allegation to the media outside the Council hall.

On August 1, Mr. Hanumantharaya argued before Principal City and Sessions Judge K.N. Keshava Narayana that the allegation made by Mr. Reddy, which had not gone on record, constituted grounds for defamation. The allegation, repeated outside the legislature, also constituted grounds for defamation.

Video recordings of the alleged defamatory statements made by Mr. Reddy outside the legislature have been submitted to the court as evidence. Newspaper clippings of these statements also form part of the evidence.

The case was then transferred to the 32nd Additional City and Sessions Court, where Mr. Hanumantharaya repeated his arguments on Monday.

Second case

This is the second case filed against Mr. Reddy. On August 4, the 32nd Additional City and Sessions Court took cognisance of a complaint filed by Home Minister M.P. Prakash. Mr. Reddy has been asked to appear in this case on August 21.

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