Supreme Court stays Lokayukta proceedings against Krishna

The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the Karnataka High Court order directing the lokayukta police to probe him in the alleged illegal mining during his tenure as the Chief Minister of the state.

The bench comprising of justices Altamas Kabir and Gyan Sudha Misra said that they are inclined to stay the proceedings. Accordingly the FIR proceedings on the issue ordered by the Karnataka lokayukta will remain stayed.

The court also said that the probe ordered by the lokayukta court is premature.

It later on issued a notice to Karnataka government and the complainant on whose plea the FIR was registered and sought their response within three weeks.

The court passed the orders on a plea by Krishna seeking the quashing of private complaint and probe by lokayukta police against him over the alleged illegal mining  when he was the Karnataka Chief Minister from 1999 to 2004.

The petition filed by Krishna had challenged the January 20 decision of Karnataka High Court by which his plea for quashing the private complaint and proceedings ordered by the lokayukta special court against him was declined.

He later on contended that the Cabinet decision was a collective one taken unanimously  by 34 ministers and therefore a single individual cannot be held responsible for it.

The High Court had ordered that the investigation should continue into offences relating to  dereservation of forest area in mineral-rich fragile zones.

Reported by

    AR

 

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