Karnataka land scam: JD (S) moves Lokayukta as Yeddy orders wider probe

Opposition Janata Dal (Secular), led by former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, has approached the state Lokayuta pressing its demand to probe the allegations against chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, even as the state government announced a wider probe into all dubious land allotments in the state since 1994.

The judicial probe ordered by the BJP government would cover the regimes of the Congress-JDS coalition government, the JDS-BJP coalition ministry and the Yeddyurappa government.

JD (S) leader in the legislative council M C Nanaiah said his party would not cooperate with the judicial probe announced by the Karnataka government as the state Lokayutka is already looking into the allegations of corruption against chief minister Yeddyurappa.

In its complaint, filed by party secretary and spokesperson YSV Datta, JD (S) has sought action against chief minister Yeddyurappa and his son Raghavendra in eight cases of alleged illegal land allocation and denotification.

The 590-page document substantiates his allegation of land grab and irregularities in the denotification of lands.

Nanaiah said the one-man inquiry committee headed by former high court judge B Padmaraj was just an eyewash. He said while the committee may report on the land deals, it is up to the government to accept or reject it.