The former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa is likely to be questioned soon in connection with the 12 FIRs that the Lokayukta police have registered so far against him for various instances of land denotification.
But before that, Mr. Yeddyurappa will find himself as an accused in at least 15 other cases, the Lokayukta sources confirmed. Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which probed the CAG report on denotification of land from 2007 to 2012, listed 27 instances where prima facie a case could be made out.
The Lokayukta police, who have started probing into these cases, said that an arrest will be made only if the accused is found blocking the probe or influencing witnesses. However, Mr. Yeddyurappa will soon be summoned and questioned. “We have to record his statement in these cases,” a senior police official said.
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The Lokayukta probe into the 27 cases of denotification in the period between 2007 and 2012 has sent shockwaves in the IAS lobby, as the role of officials in the then CM’s Secretariat are now under the scanner.
The CID report to the Lokayukta on these cases, has also fixed responsibility on the Chief Minister’s Secretariat officials during 2007-12 for the denotification scandal. The 12 FIRs registered till date, though have not named any officials by name, they have listed officials concerned in CM’s Secretariat as the accused. A senior police official leading the probe into the cases told The Hindu that they were going by the file notings made by the officials as that has now turned out to be the prime evidence in these cases. At least three senior IAS officials, who were Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister during the period, are under the scanner, sources confirmed. As the probe proceeds further, these officials are also likely to be summoned for questioning, sources added.
The 12 FIRs have listed officials in the CM’s Secretariat as the accused