Karnataka Cabinet: The Karnataka Cabinet, which met on Thursday, decided to appeal to Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot, advising him to grant sanction for the prosecution of Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy and others in corruption cases. Notably, this decision follows the Governor's recent sanction of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's prosecution, which was based on a complaint filed by an RTI activist.
The Karnataka Cabinet has decided to grant sanctions for the prosecution in four corruption cases. These cases involve former Chief Minister Kumaraswamy and former ministers Shashikala Jolle, Murugesh Nirani, and Janardhan Reddy, who are all accused of corruption.
Since the Governor is legally required to follow the advice and assistance of the Cabinet, the Karnataka Cabinet expects that he will make a fair decision regarding the sanction for prosecution in these four corruption cases. In two of these cases, chargesheets have already been filed following investigations by state agencies. The Cabinet has expressed that if the Governor is impartial, he should demonstrate his neutrality to the people of Karnataka by making an unbiased decision.
What is case against HD Kumaraswamy?
Earlier on Monday, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Karnataka Lokayukta has once again submitted a proposal to the Governor seeking permission to file a chargesheet against Kumaraswamy in the alleged mining lease case.
The SIT had first requested Gehlot's nod in November last year to prosecute the Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel, who had allegedly granted mining lease to Sri Sai Venkateshwara Minerals (SSVM) when he was the Chief Minister in 2007 in violation of the law.
In Sri Sai Venkateshwara Minerals (SSVM), it is alleged that illegal activities were committed in 2007 when Kumaraswamy was the Chief Minister. He is accused of awarding a contract to the SSVM Company for mining 550 acres of land. The SIT is conducting the probe based on a report on illegal mining by the then Karnataka Lokayukta, Justice N Santhosh Hegde.
Kumaraswamy has been charged under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA), the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act.
Siddaramaiah to be prosecuted in land scam case
Karnataka Governor granted sanction for prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment 'scam’. It is based on three petitions filed by -- T J Abraham, Pradeep Kumar and Snehamayi Krishna.
The Governor's secretariat has written to Pradeep Kumar S P, T J Abraham and Snehamayi Krishna about the decision of the component authority on the request of sanction of prosecution against Siddaramaiah, under section 17 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and section 218 of Bharithiya Nagarika Suraksha Samhitha, 2023 for the commission of alleged offences mentioned in the petitions.
It should be noted that the Siddaramaiah is accused of exchange of a piece of land in his wife's name which was acquired by MUDA. Notably, his wife was given the land in a posh area of Mysuru and the market value of which is much more than his own land.
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