The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Orders reserved on Janardhan Reddy's plea for CBI probe

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Thursday, Sep 21, 2006
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Orders reserved on Janardhan Reddy's plea for CBI probe

Staff Reporter

The BJP MLC levelled bribery charges against the Chief Minister

G. Janardhan Reddy

BANGALORE: The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday reserved orders on a petition by suspended Bharatiya Janata Party MLC from Bellary G. Janardhan Reddy seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry against Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, Home Minister M.P. Prakash and Minister for Forests Chennigappa and their relatives for offences punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the provisions of the Indian Penal Code.

Justice H.G. Ramesh, who heard Mr. Reddy's petition, adjourned it for orders. On August 23, Mr. Reddy filed the petition naming several members of the family of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, including his son and Chief Minister Kumaraswamy as recipients of illegal gratification from mine owners in Bellary.

Mr. Reddy claimed that though some women folk in Mr. Gowda's family did not have any means of livelihood, they had large sums of money credited in their names in several banks. He said the women members of at least three public servants had lent their name for the acquisition of assets. They could not have made the investment as they had no independent source of income.

He said his case is similar to the case of Sanjeev Kumar in which the Supreme Court had directed the CBI to investigate the case involving the then Chief Minister of Haryana.

He recalled that audio and video cassettes were also involved in the Sanjeev Kumar case as in the present case.

He said he had approached the High Court as he had apprehended that he would not get justice from the local police if he had sought investigation of the crime.

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