The Special Lokayukta Court was a beehive of activity on Saturday when the former BJP Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu and his son Katta Jagadish appeared before the magistrate in connection with the KIADB-ITASCA Software land scam case.
This is the first time since the Lokayukta Police started investigations into the 325-acre land grab case that Mr. Naidu appeared before an open court.
Pleading innocence before the magistrate, Mr. Naidu moved a bail application. The other six accused in the case had also filed similar petitions during the last hearing on July 19.
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Mr. Naidu, who was forced to resign as the Information Technology Minister from Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa's Cabinet after the scam surfaced last December, has been named as the prime accused in the 18,000-page charge sheet filed by the Lokayukta.
Special Public Prosecutor J.S. Pramod Chandra, who appeared on behalf of the Lokayukta Police, opposed the bail applications.
Lawyers appearing on behalf of the accused contended that they had not been served with copies of the charge sheet and sought time to go through its contents before putting forth their arguments.
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The court gave them time until July 26 by which time they are expected to have their arguments ready. The bail applications and objections to these applications will be taken up on that day.