FIR filed against Yeddyurappa over land allotment scam

Bangalore: The Lokayukta police today filed an FIR against former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa in connection with an alleged case of cheating in a land allotment scam.A case of cheating and criminal conspiracy has been registered against him in the Karnataka Housing Board (KHB) sites allotment scam, Lokayukta police sources said.FIR was filed against the senior BJP leader under sections 420 (Cheating), 120 (b) (Criminal conspiracy) and 13 (1) (d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, they said.[caption id="attachment_225206" align="alignleft" width="380" caption="The Lokayukta police today filed an FIR against the ormer Karnataka chief minister in connection with an alleged case of cheating in a land allotment scam."][/caption]The FIR was registered in the wake of the Principal District and Sessions Court on 21 February admitting a private case against him, his daughter SY Arunadevi, four of her assistants and two KHB officials in connection with irregularities in allotment of KHB sites under the discretionary and press quotas.Judge Mahalakshmi Nerale had directed Lokayukta police to probe the case under Section 13(1D) of Prevention of Corruption Act and submit a report to the court by 14 March.Advocate B Vinod had submitted to the court that Yeddyurappa had allotted KHB sites to four persons under discretionary and press quotas only to transfer them to his daughter Arunadevi's name when he was the Deputy Chief Minister.Vinod alleged that the illegally alloted KHB sites were given to one Manjunath under discretionary quota and Krishna, Shivashankar and Sandesh Gowda under press quota at its layout on the Kallahalli-Kashipur Road. The three persons, who were allotted sites under the press quota, were not journalists, he charged.Vinod further alleged that KHB officials yielded to pressure from then Deputy Chief Minister Yeddyurappa and issued sale deeds even before they applied for the sites. Soon after they were allotted sites, they sold them to Arunadevi at less than the market value, he alleged.The KHB officials who were booked were Haleshappa, Assistant Director of KHB and a KHB Commissioner in Bangalore.PTI