The Mysore-Chamarajanagar Lokayukta Superintendent of Police has submitted the final inquiry report in connection with a complaint against Minister for Cooperation H.S. Mahadeva Prasad to the District and Sessions Court here on Tuesday. The complaint alleged that he submitted a false affidavit to the Karnataka Housing Board for getting a 11 m x 8 m site at a subsidised rate in Chamarajanagar.
Nandish, resident of Hirebegur village in Gundlupet taluk, had filed a private complaint before the special court in 2012 alleging that Mr. Prasad had secured a site from the Karnataka Housing Board (KHB) by “falsely” declaring that he did not own any site in the State. He alleged that Mr. Prasad owned a site at Mysore. Mr. Nandish had alleged that Mr. Prasad had misused his power as an MLA to get the site allotted from the KHB in Chamarajanagar.
As the special court did not pass any order on the private complaint for nearly a year, the complainant approached the High Court, which, in October 2013, directed the special court to pass appropriate orders. Following this, the Lokayukta court, on December 21, 2013, directed the Lokayukta Superintendent of Police to register a first information report (FIR) against Mr. Prasad and probe the case under Section 156(3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which Mr. Prasad challenged in the High Court.
However, Mr. Prasad failed to obtain a stay order. Meanwhile, the Lokayukta too failed to initiate any action in this regard even five months after the receipt of the court order. Mr. Prasad, in his petition, had contended that he did not own a site allotted by the KHB prior to 2002, when the site in question was allotted to him by the KHB. He also contended that he had purchased a site in a layout formed by the Mysore Urban Development Authority subsequent to the allotment of the site to him by the KHB in 2002. Lokayukta Deputy Superintendent of Police P. Nataraju on Tuesday submitted the inquiry report to the special court, which had fixed September 30 as the deadline for submitting the report.
S.S. Mallikarjunaiah, advocate appearing for Mr. Nandish, told The Hindu that the Lokayukta had finally submitted its final inquiry report to the special court, after realising that the allegations levelled by Mr. Nandish could attract action under Sections 409, 415, 420, 425 and 13/1. Under the relevant provisions of the Code of criminal procedure, the Lokayukta would seek government’s permission to go ahead with the next procedure as Mr. Prasad was now a Minister in the State Cabinet.
