Bangalore: The Karnataka High Court on Monday rejected the anticipatory bail application filed by former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa in connection with corruption cases.

Justice L Narayana Swamy had on Friday reserved its verdict on the application of Yeddyurappa, who is due to appear before a Lokayuta court today to face allegations of denotification of government land for “personal gains”.

Apprehending arrest in the illegal land deals cases, the former chief minister had sought anticipatory bail from the High Court.

 
The special Lokyukta court had on August 8 ordered issue of summons to Yeddyurappa to appear before it on August 27, on a private complaint filed by city-based advocate Sirajin Basha.

However, the BJP strongman on Saturday did not appear in the trial court on the ground that he was suffering from fever and sought permission to be represented by his advocate.

Additional City Civil and Sessions Court Judge NK Sudhindra Rao, who functions as special Lokayukta (ombudsman) court for speedy trial of corruption cases, refused to grant him exemption from personal appearance in court and was directed to be present before him today.

He will appear before the Lokayukta court at 3.00 pm today.

 
Earlier, Yeddyurappa’s counsel and noted Supreme Court advocate UU Lalit submitted that denotification was a collective decision involving many departments, including the Bangalore Development Authority and not an individual decision taken by Yeddyurappa.

The case was filed on January 23 by two Bangalore advocates, Sirajin Bhasha and NK Balaraj, after Governor HR Bhardwaj gave them permission on January 21 to launch criminal proceedings against Yeddyurappa.

Yeddyurapa quit on July 31 after the then Lokayukta N Santosh Hegde recommended his trial for graft in illegal mining scam.

In their complaints the two advocates have accused Yeddyurappa, his two sons BY Raghavendra and BY Vijayendra, son-in-law R Sohan Kumar and eleven others of conspiracy to denotify (freeing from government control) land in and around Bangalore in return for monetary benefits.

Raghavendra is Bharatiya Janata Party Lok Sabha member from Shimoga, about 280 km from Bangalore.

Yeddyurappa petitioned the High Court challenging the legality of Bhardwaj’s sanction. The court is hearing his plea. It has, however, rejected Yeddyurappa’s appeal to stay the sanction and also proceedings in the Lokayukta special court.