Mandya-based Right to Information (RTI) activist K.R. Raveendra has threatened to launch a legal battle against Chief Minister-designate H.D. Kumaraswamy if Melkote legislator C.S. Puttaraju, whom he described as a “tainted MLA”, is inducted into the State Cabinet.
In a letter to Mr. Kumaraswamy, Mr. Raveendra, who has filed several cases against political leaders, emphasised the need to keep away from the Cabinet legislators who are facing criminal cases.
Mr. Puttaraju, who won the electoral battle on JD(S) ticket, is facing charges including cheating and criminal conspiracy. There are some cases against him filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation, Anti-Corruption Bureau, Mandya West police, and the Pandavapura police. However, all are pending trial in various courts.
Mr. Puttaraju, a three-time MLA, has also been in the news for the wrong reasons on several occasions. In 2014, he allegedly threatened an assistant executive engineer of Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation that he would tie him to an electricity pole “for not effectively discharging his duties”. A few months ago, he issued warnings to a geologist in foul language in front of Deputy Commissioner N. Manjushri and other officials for initiating action against illegal stone quarrying.
A petition was also filed, by the then Deputy Conservator of Forests of Mandya S. Dhananjay, against Mr. Puttaraju a few months ago after he allegedly prevented forest officials from discharging their duties when they visited an illegal stone quarrying unit near Pandavapura. According to Mr. Raveendra, the leader, who is a ministerial berth aspirant, has been involved in illegal stone quarrying in and around the deemed forest area of Baby Hills for years.
The activist told presspersons on Tuesday that he has also sent documents pertaining to the cases and alleged illegalities to Mr. Kumaraswamy.
