Anticipatory bail pleas of B S Yeddyurappa adjourned to June 1

BANGALORE: A CBI court here today adjourned to June 1 hearing on the anticipatory bail petitions of former Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa and his kin who apprehended arrest in an illegal mining case.

CBI judge D R Venkat Sudarshan adjourned the pleas of Yeddyurappa, his sons B Y Raghavendra, MP, and B Y Vijendra and son-in-law R N Sohan Kumar after their counsel Siddarth Navadagi filed objections to CBI's application seeking their personal appearance.

At this, the Special Public Prosecutor submitted that he would not press for the personal appearance of the petitioners and sought time till June 1 for final arguments on their plea.

CBI had on May 25 strongly opposed the anticipatory bail petitions of Yeddyurappa and his kin on the ground that their custodial interrogation might be necessary.

The CBI had registered a case against Yeddyurappa and others in compliance with a Supreme Court directive and raided their residential and other premises in Bangalore and Shimoga on May 16.

On the basis of Central Empowered Committee (CEC) report, the Supreme Court on May 11 ordered CBI investigation into the donations received by a trust owned by Yeddyurappa family members from two mining companies.

Cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act and Karnataka Restriction of Land Transfer Act had been filed against them.

Meanwhile, the Lokayukta Court posted for June 5 a fresh private complaint against Yeddyurappa, Housing Minister V Somanna and his family members alleging irregularities in denotification of land.

Lokayukta judge N K Sundhindra Rao would pronounce orders on whether to order a probe based on the complaint.