B. Sriramulu, MLA and president of BSR Congress, B. Shivappa, former Deputy Commissioner of Bellary, Venkatesh, former Assistant Commissioner Bellary, along with three other officials, appeared before the Lokayukta police here on Saturday.
Mr. Sriramulu has been accused of acquiring land belonging to others by fabricating the documents with the help of five officials.
A private complaint was filed in the district and sessions court here by G. Krishnamurthy, one of the aggrieved, whose residential plot along with that of several others, had been acquired by Mr. Sriramulu.
The district judge had referred the case to the Lokayukta and directed that a report be submitted on August 26. Meanwhile, all the accused had obtained anticipatory bail.
According to sources, all the six appeared before the Lokayukta inspector and submitted the anticipatory bail granted to them. The inquiry into the case is yet to commence. Mr. Shivappa has since retired.
It may be recalled that Mr. Krishnamurthy, in his complaint, charged that Mr. Sriramulu got the 27.25 acres of land in survey no. 597/B registered in his name through an order of the local court, which according to him (Mr. Krishnamurthy) had already been purchased by Mr. Parmeshwar Reddy, father-in-law of jailed mining baron G. Janardhan Reddy and gifted to his daughter after getting the conversion of land use. The Revenue authorities, right from the revenue inspector to the Deputy Commissioner, passed orders of mutation and conversion of the same land again. Later, Mr. Sriramulu, based on the order, acquired the land (residential sites) belonging to Mr. Krishnamurthy and others, situated on the eastern side, and built the compound wall, Mr. Krishnamurthy had charged.