<p>The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed an appeal made on behalf of former Karnataka chief minister S M Krishna to defer the hearing in a case pertaining to dereserving of thousand of acres of mineral-rich forest land in Ballari and other areas.<br /><br />A bench of Justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan allowed a request for adjourning the matter and posted for hearing on September 12, for further two weeks.<br /><br />Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi cited some personal difficulty to argue the matter on scheduled date.<br /><br />On instructions, advocate Joseph Aristotle, representing the Karnataka government, opposed the plea. He said the matter has already been delayed.<br /><br /> The apex court had on January 27, 2012 granted stay in favour of Krishna in the case.<br /><br />However on March 29 this year, the court allowed Karnataka Lokayukta’s SIT to investigate former chief minister <br />H D Kumaraswamy and others in alleged illegalities in grant of mining lease in favour of M/s Sri Sai Venkateshwara Minerals, renewal of mining lease to Janthakal Enterprises and payment of Rs 150 crore bribe. <br /><br />Activist T J Abraham had failed complaint in the matter by relying upon a report prepared by then Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde, indicting then chief ministers Kumaraswamy, N Dharam Singh and other bureaucrats in dereservation of 11,797 square kilometres of forest land in 2002-03 in Ballari district and grant of illegal lease resulting in huge loss to the government.</p>
<p>The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed an appeal made on behalf of former Karnataka chief minister S M Krishna to defer the hearing in a case pertaining to dereserving of thousand of acres of mineral-rich forest land in Ballari and other areas.<br /><br />A bench of Justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan allowed a request for adjourning the matter and posted for hearing on September 12, for further two weeks.<br /><br />Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi cited some personal difficulty to argue the matter on scheduled date.<br /><br />On instructions, advocate Joseph Aristotle, representing the Karnataka government, opposed the plea. He said the matter has already been delayed.<br /><br /> The apex court had on January 27, 2012 granted stay in favour of Krishna in the case.<br /><br />However on March 29 this year, the court allowed Karnataka Lokayukta’s SIT to investigate former chief minister <br />H D Kumaraswamy and others in alleged illegalities in grant of mining lease in favour of M/s Sri Sai Venkateshwara Minerals, renewal of mining lease to Janthakal Enterprises and payment of Rs 150 crore bribe. <br /><br />Activist T J Abraham had failed complaint in the matter by relying upon a report prepared by then Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde, indicting then chief ministers Kumaraswamy, N Dharam Singh and other bureaucrats in dereservation of 11,797 square kilometres of forest land in 2002-03 in Ballari district and grant of illegal lease resulting in huge loss to the government.</p>