Hindustan Times
Bangalore, December 03, 2011
The Lokayukta Court has admitted to the corruption case against the external affairs minister SM Krishna, former chief ministers Dharam Singh, HD Kumaraswamy (present MP) and others on Saturday and asked the Lokayukta police to investigate the case. The judge NK Sudheendra
Rao, who had reserved the order on admitting the case on Wednesday, has admitted the case and referred the case to Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Sathyanarayana Rao to submit an investigation report on or before 6 January, 2012.The case with the charges of misuse of power and corruption charges has been referred to the police under section 156(3) of the CrPC
Abraham T Jospeh, a social worker, is the complainant in this case and he accused the former chief ministers (one is now a Union Minister and one is an MP) along with over 10 bureaucrats for allowing illegal mining in the state causing huge loss to the state exchequer.
The complainant alleged that SM Krishna during his tenure as chief minister of Karnataka had not only sanctioned mining lease on old rates and incurred huge loss to the state exchequer but also de-reserved forest land , despite severe opposition from the department of forest and environment.
“Going by the records available with various reports of the government and Lokayukta investigations, it can be concluded that Krishna was responsible for large scale illegal mining in the state and he could be termed as author of the mining scams,” Joseph in his complaint said.
Jospeh said that Dharam Singh during his ternure as chief minister in between 2004- 2006 also held the portfolio of the Department of Mines and Geology ordered issuance of temporary transport permits for movement of iron ore and manganese ore from agricultural patta lands not held under the mining lease.
This scam has resulted in revenue loss to the State to the extent of Rs. 23,22,11,850/-. (Twenty three crore, twenty two lakhs, eleven thousand, eight hundred and fifty rupees) Therefore, under Section 12(3) of the Lokayukta Act, a separate recommendation is made to the Competent Authority to initiate appropriate proceedings against Dharam Singh for recovery of the loss caused by him to the State. The flow of the ill gotten money by indulging in corruption has resulted in investments in properties acquired by the family members of Dharam Singh , Joseph alleged in the complaint.
Kumaraswamy was accused by the then Tourism minister of taking 150 crores as bribes from miners in July 2006, leading to a speculation that the JD(S) was under the influence of the mining lobby. As indicated BJP Legislator dropping the accusation against him for receiving 150 crore bribe from illegal miners at the behest of the then deputy chief minister Yedyurappa.
Yedyurappa is already facing charges in connection with various scams and is out on bail granted by the Hon’ble High court of Karnataka and the then former Tourism minister was apprehended by the CBI and is still lodged in a jail in the state of Andhra Pradesh for his involvement in illegal mining in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh.
As for the demand for a CBI enquiry into illegal mining in Karnataka, the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India has directed the CBI to look into the links between the illegal mining in Andhra Pradesh of OMC with AMC in Karnataka, the demand for a CBI inquiry into the illegal mining in Karnataka has not been fruitful although demanded by most of the political parties in the state but due to the initiative of SPS and the intervention of the Hon’ble Supreme Court the CBI has entered Karnataka in specific cases reffered by the Hon’ble Supreme Court.
The former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy is said to have issued mining lease in respect of 550 acres of land in Jog, Thimmappagudi, Vhavihalli, NEB Range, Sandur Taluk, Bellary Districtto Sai Venkateshwara Minerals. The complianant alleged that HD Kumaraswamy was the reason for huge loss to the state exchequer.
Other accused:
Bangalore, December 03, 2011
The Lokayukta Court has admitted to the corruption case against the external affairs minister SM Krishna, former chief ministers Dharam Singh, HD Kumaraswamy (present MP) and others on Saturday and asked the Lokayukta police to investigate the case. The judge NK Sudheendra
Rao, who had reserved the order on admitting the case on Wednesday, has admitted the case and referred the case to Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Sathyanarayana Rao to submit an investigation report on or before 6 January, 2012.The case with the charges of misuse of power and corruption charges has been referred to the police under section 156(3) of the CrPC
Abraham T Jospeh, a social worker, is the complainant in this case and he accused the former chief ministers (one is now a Union Minister and one is an MP) along with over 10 bureaucrats for allowing illegal mining in the state causing huge loss to the state exchequer.
The complainant alleged that SM Krishna during his tenure as chief minister of Karnataka had not only sanctioned mining lease on old rates and incurred huge loss to the state exchequer but also de-reserved forest land , despite severe opposition from the department of forest and environment.
“Going by the records available with various reports of the government and Lokayukta investigations, it can be concluded that Krishna was responsible for large scale illegal mining in the state and he could be termed as author of the mining scams,” Joseph in his complaint said.
Jospeh said that Dharam Singh during his ternure as chief minister in between 2004- 2006 also held the portfolio of the Department of Mines and Geology ordered issuance of temporary transport permits for movement of iron ore and manganese ore from agricultural patta lands not held under the mining lease.
This scam has resulted in revenue loss to the State to the extent of Rs. 23,22,11,850/-. (Twenty three crore, twenty two lakhs, eleven thousand, eight hundred and fifty rupees) Therefore, under Section 12(3) of the Lokayukta Act, a separate recommendation is made to the Competent Authority to initiate appropriate proceedings against Dharam Singh for recovery of the loss caused by him to the State. The flow of the ill gotten money by indulging in corruption has resulted in investments in properties acquired by the family members of Dharam Singh , Joseph alleged in the complaint.
Kumaraswamy was accused by the then Tourism minister of taking 150 crores as bribes from miners in July 2006, leading to a speculation that the JD(S) was under the influence of the mining lobby. As indicated BJP Legislator dropping the accusation against him for receiving 150 crore bribe from illegal miners at the behest of the then deputy chief minister Yedyurappa.
Yedyurappa is already facing charges in connection with various scams and is out on bail granted by the Hon’ble High court of Karnataka and the then former Tourism minister was apprehended by the CBI and is still lodged in a jail in the state of Andhra Pradesh for his involvement in illegal mining in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh.
As for the demand for a CBI enquiry into illegal mining in Karnataka, the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India has directed the CBI to look into the links between the illegal mining in Andhra Pradesh of OMC with AMC in Karnataka, the demand for a CBI inquiry into the illegal mining in Karnataka has not been fruitful although demanded by most of the political parties in the state but due to the initiative of SPS and the intervention of the Hon’ble Supreme Court the CBI has entered Karnataka in specific cases reffered by the Hon’ble Supreme Court.
The former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy is said to have issued mining lease in respect of 550 acres of land in Jog, Thimmappagudi, Vhavihalli, NEB Range, Sandur Taluk, Bellary Districtto Sai Venkateshwara Minerals. The complianant alleged that HD Kumaraswamy was the reason for huge loss to the state exchequer.
Other accused:
The other officers who had alleged nexus with Krishna, Dharam Singh and Kumaraswamy in the scam are: 1. Dr.Basappa Reddy (Former Director of Mines and Geology), 2. Gangaram Baderiya, IAS, (former Director of Mines and Geology), 3. V. Umesh, IAS, (former Managing Director, M/s Mysore Minerals Limited), 4. I.R. Perumal, IAS, (former Managing Director, M/s Mysore Minerals Limited), 5. K.S. Manjunath, IAS, (former Managing Director, M/s Mysore Minerals Limited) , 6. D.S. Aswath, IAS, (former Managing Director, M/s Mysore Minerals Limited), 7. Jija Madhavan Hari Singh, IPS. (former Managing Director, M/s Mysore Minerals Limited) , 8. Mahendra Jain, IAS, (former Managing Director, M/s Mysore Minerals Limited) , 9. K. Srinivas ,Dy. General Manager, M/s Mysore Minerals Limited , 10. M. Ramappa, Dy. General Manager, M/s Mysore Minerals Limited , 11. Shankaralingaiah , Dy. General Manager, M/s Mysore Minerals Limited.
