The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday extended the stay on investigation into a criminal case related to corruption and fraud in the implementation of Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project until the disposal of the petitions challenging the probe.
The High Court passed the order while rejecting the plea for vacating the stay on the probe being conducted by the Lokayukta Police based on the October 25, 2012 direction of the Special Lokayukta Court.
Social activist T.J. Abraham, on whose complaint the Special Court had ordered probe, had sought for vacating of the December 11, 2012 interim order through which the High Court had initially stayed the probe.
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Justice H. Billappa pronounced the order at Circuit Bench at Dharwad on the petitions filed by Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE), which is executing the project, and its top executives who have been arraigned as accused in the case by the Special Court.
The High Court said that probe will have to be stayed as questions like jurisdiction of the Special Court to entertain the complainant as well as absence of prior sanction for prosecuting the public servants, etc., raised in the petitions require consideration.
The Special Court had ordered probe against 30 persons, including the former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, who however had filed an application in the High Court for continuation of the probe. Though the Lokayukta Police had registered a First Information Report (FIR) they did proceed further following the stay order.
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