SC rejects plea on graft probe against Karnataka Minister, IAS officer

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to consider separate pleas by Karnataka Minister S T Somashekar, IAS officer G C Prakash and businessman K Ravi against lodging of a corruption case with regard to a construction project by Bangalore Development Authority.

The court had earlier on September 23 stayed the probe against then-Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa in connection with the FIR ordered by the Karnataka High Court on a complaint by activist T J Abraham.

Senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi, Devadatt Kamat and Siddharth Dave, appearing for the petitioners, questioned the validity of the September 7 order by the High Court, including the point of sanctions.

They also contended if the investigation has been stayed with regard to one accused i.e., Yediyurappa, the Lokayukta police can proceed against them.

A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and Hima Kohli, however, rejected their plea.

The counsel for complainant Abraham, for his part, pointed out the case against Yediyurappa was different as sanction was sought from the Governor who had declined it but it was no so in case of other accused.

After arguing the matter for a while, the counsel for the petitioners preferred to withdraw their plea.

The case is related to allegation of bribes to the tune of Rs 12 crore to award a BDA contract for a construction firm to build a housing complex for the government during Yediyurappa's tenure as CM in 2019-21.

An FIR was lodged against the former Karnataka CM, his family members -- his son B Y Vijayendra, son-in-law Sanjay Shree, and grandson Shashidhar Maradi -- and others on September 16.