Yeddyurappa gets anticipatory bail in land scam case

Bangalore, Jan 17 (IANS) Former Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa Tuesday secured anticipatory bail in a land scam case, taking to four the number of cases in which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader has got such relief.

Yeddyurappa is on bail in two corruption and land deal cases after spending 21 days in a Bangalore jail in October-November last year. He has got anticipatory bail in three more corruption and land deal cases.
The high court Tuesday also granted anticipatory bail to housing minister V. Somanna and his wife Shylaja, and land owner Lingaraju, all co-accused with Yeddyurappa in the case.
All four have been directed to furnish bonds for Rs.200,000 and two sureties for the equal amount each, not to tamper with evidence and not leave the country without the court’s permission.
Granting the relief, Justice Subhash Adi said: “No allegation of monetary benefit or pecuniary advantage to Yeddyurappa is made out in the complaint”.
The complaint was filed in the Lokayukta (ombudsman) court by Ravi Krishnareddy, a software engineer in Bangalore. The complaint alleged that Somanna got about half an acre of land in west Bangalore freed from government control when Yeddyurappa was the chief minister.
Lokayukta Court Judge N.K. Sudhindra Rao had ordered the police to probe the complaint, following which the four moved the high court for anticipatory bail to avoid being arrested.