The High Court of Karnataka has admitted a petition filed by Cooperation Minister H.S. Mahadev Prasad questioning the order of a Special Lokayukta Court directing the Lokayukta police to investigate allegations made against him in a private complaint.
Vacation Judge Justice K.N. Phaneendra also ordered that the records from the Special Court be secured.
H.S. Nandish of Chamarajnagar in 2012 had filed a private complaint before the special court 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. It was alleged that Mr. Prasad did own a site in Mysore.
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 special court, on December 21, referred the complaint to the Lokayukta police for investigation under Section 156(3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Cr.PC).
However, in his petition, Mr. Prasad 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 2002 allotment by the KHB.
