Allegation against our officials feeble attempt to build false defence: ACB

Bengaluru: The Karnataka ACB has termed the allegation by a senior officer in the state administration that he was being pressured by the agency to give a statement against former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa in a corruption case as a “feeble attempt to build a false defence”.

H Basavarajendra, now the Deputy Secretary, Mines, InvestigationCell and Sugar,in a letter to Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala and Chief Secretary Shubash Chandra Khuntia yesterday, had claimedthat since he refused to heed to the “illegal” demands of theofficers, he was arrayed as an accused in the case.

He had alsourged the governor and chief secretary to look into thematter immediately and protect his interests. Clarifyingabout the allegation levelled by the officer against the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials, Director-General of Police, ACB, M N Reddi, in a statement last night, called it a “feeble attempt to build a false defence”, and promised to look into his grievances if any.

He said, “The letter has been released by a key accused, who had issued illegal endorsements of ‘Denotification’while working in the BDA (Bengaluru Development Authority).” Reddi added that Basavarajendra was called for questioning by the ACB officers on August 10 and he had appeared before the investigating officer (IO) in the case.

He pointed out that under section 164, CrPc, the magistrate repeatedly asked the accused whether the statement he wished to make was voluntary or not. Therefore, Reddi contended that an allegation of “forcing an accused to give a voluntary statement before a magistrate” was self-contradictory in nature.

“And even if he (Basavarajendra) was feeling threatened, why did he not approach the higher-ranked officers to lodge a complaint? He has issued this letter after a gap of nine days, that too after receiving a police notice as an accused, along with the other accused.

“It’s a feeble attempt to build a false defence. However, if he has any grievance, we will look into it,” he said. Basavarajendra was the special land acquisition officerat the BDA when the alleged denotification took place during Yeddyurappa’s tenure as chief minister.

The ACB had registered a case against Yeddyurappa, who is also the state BJP chief,in connection with the denotification of over 257 acresof land in the Dr K Shivaram Karanth Layout in northern Bengaluru,based on a complaint filed by the members of the ‘Jana Samanya Vedike’, a social organisation.

Yeddyurappa has been accused of denotifying 257 acres from the preliminary notification of 3,546 acres, meant toform the Dr K Shivaram Karanth Layout, bypassing the BDA committee’s approval.

The former chief minister was asked by the ACB to appear before it yesterday for questioning, but he has sought 10 days’ time to do so. He has also approached theKarnataka High Court, seeking to quash the case.

Basavarajendra’s letter has come at a time when the BJP and Yeddyurappa have alleged that the ACB is being used bythe Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in the state to target the party,”in retaliation” to the recent Income Tax raids on state Energy Minister D K Shivakumar’s properties. Rejecting the BJP’s allegation, Siddaramaiah has said everyone is equal before the law.