The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Mining case: MLC to place evidence before CBI

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 23, 2006
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Mining case: MLC to place evidence before CBI

Staff Reporter

Judicial commission not the right forum: Janardhan Reddy

G. Janardhan Reddy — Photo: K. Gopinathan

BANGALORE: A day after the Justice U.L. Bhat Commission inquiring into illegal mining activities in the State, decided to take the help of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to carry out the investigation, the suspended BJP MLC G. Janardhan Reddy on Wednesday said he would place before the CBI officers the evidence he had to prove his Rs. 150-crore bribery allegation against Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and his Minister-colleagues.

Mr. Janardhan Reddy told presspersons here that the commission's decision to seek CBI assistance had boosted his morale as he had been demanding a CBI inquiry into the bribery charge he had levelled against the Chief Minister.

He said Mr. Kumaraswamy and Janata Dal (Secular) president H.D. Deve Gowda had been making "mean" comments on the CBI. They had now suffered a setback by the commission's decision, Mr. Janardhan Reddy said.

In the wake of the commission's decision, the Chief Minister should own moral responsibility and order an independent inquiry by the CBI, he said.

The commission on Tuesday said it would take CBI help as Mr. Janardhan Reddy had failed to file a statement and affidavit as also list of documents and particulars of persons from whom documents could be obtained, despite individual notice served on him.

Asked why he had not produced any documents before the commission, Mr. Janardhan Reddy said: "According to me, the judicial commission is not a proper forum for presenting the evidence as it has no powers to take action against those found guilty."

"As I have immense faith in the CBI, I will place the evidence before its officers once they start the investigation," he said.

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