ACB filed FIR without proper sanction: Yeddyurappa

Bengaluru, Sept 19: BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa submitted to the high court on Monday that there are more than 32 complaints pending before the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) filed against the chief minister and other ministers, where the FIR has not been filed since the sanction to prosecution has not been granted.

However, in his case, without prior sanction from the appointing authority, an FIR was filed violating the conditions of the ACB notification, which seeks sanction from the appropriate authority before filing the FIR.

Senior counsel C V Nagesh, appearing for Yeddyurappa, said there have been cases filed against the chief minister and the ministers with regard to the Hublot watch controversy, the Arkavathi Layout denotification, liquor licences, issuing of tenders among others. He said there is unwarranted harassment and, allegations and frivolous complaints were filed before the ACB. Nagesh said there is a legal bar on registration of the FIR itself.

Senior counsel Ravivarma Kumar, appearing for ACB, took exception, stating that Nagesh was making endless submission, going beyond the scope of the case. Nagesh said he was only arguing his interim prayer. Justice Aravind Kumar, who is hearing the petition for the past two weeks, said on a lighter note, if there was anything left to be heard in the main prayer.

The counsel were making their submissions in a petition filed by Yeddyurappa, seeking directions to quash two FIRs filed by the ACB. Two FIRs were filed against him in the case of ‘fake-denotification’ of 257 acres of land, part of the Shivaram Karanth Layout in Bengaluru North. ACB sought more time to make its submission. The judge adjourned the hearing to Wednesday.