Police file chargesheet against Kumaraswamy

PTI

Bangalore, 16 Apr 2012: Lokayukta Police today filed a chargesheet against former Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy in connection with a complaint alleging illegalities in denotification of government land in 2007 when he was the Chief Minister.

 

Besides Kumaraswamy, former minister C Chennigappa, Raviprakash and Sriram, who were erstwhile owners of the land, have been charged under various IPC sections including 420 (cheating), 120(b) (criminal conspiracy) and Prevention of Corruption Act.

 

Lokayukta court judge N K Sudhindra Rao posted the case to April 21 for orders. The complainant Mahadevaswamy has alleged Kumaraswamy denotified 3.8 acres in Thanisandra village in 2007 when he was the Chief Minister at the behest of Chennigappa though the Bangalore Development Authority had acquired the land and even formed sites in Arkavathy layout.

 

The chargesheet, submitted by investigating officer Ravishankar, said Raviprakash and Sriram had furnished false information about being poor landowners though they held good positions.

 

While Raviprakash was an ENT Specialist, Sriram was an Asst Professor in a private college and "both already own 10.5 acres in the same layout apart from owning houses and commercial buildings in Banashankari and BTM layout in the city and farmhouses in Devanahalli", it said. On January 6, Lokayukta police had filed an FIR against Kumaraswamy and others under the orders of Lokayukta court.

 

It was alleged Kumaraswamy had not placed the concerned denotification request before the denotification committee and unilaterally ordered for denotification of the land.