BS Yeddyurappa's acquittal: Anti-Corruption Bureau to file FIR?

Bengaluru: Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials, who have launched an inquiry into the 2016 CBI case against former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa wherein he was acquitted of various charges of corruption, recorded the statement of the complainant in the case on Monday. It is said that the ACB officials are contemplating registering an FIR in the case.

The ACB had summoned the complainant, Ravikrishna Reddy, president of the Lanchamuktha Karnataka Nirmana Vedike, to appear before the investigation officer and record his statement in connection with the allegations he has made. Accordingly, Mr Reddy went to the ACB office on Monday and gave his statement from 4.30 pm to 6.30 pm.

ACB sources said that Mr Reddy gave a detailed explanation on what premise the petition was given to the Chief Justice of India, all Judges of the Supreme Court, the Prime Minister’s Office and other agencies of the central government. “He made a statement that the developments days before the CBI Special Court passed the judgement raised several questions and the source of Rs 2 crore cash found in advocate H.M. Siddharth’s car at Vidhana Soudha has to be thoroughly investigated to unearth the truth. He further alleged that there could be a direct link between the unexplained cash seized and the CBI court’s judgement acquitting BJP state president Yeddyurappa. His statement was recorded and its veracity will be investigated,” an official said.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that the ACB officials are contemplating registering a fresh FIR in the case, based on the petition filed by Mr Reddy. However, an FIR is already registered by the Vidhana Soudha police, but it’s limited only to the unaccounted cash seized. But the ACB would register the FIR not only to probe the source of cash, but also to investigate the allegations of links between the cash seized from lawyer Siddharth and the CBI court’s judgement acquitting Mr Yeddyurappa.

Mr Reddy had written to the Chief Justice of India and various offices of the central government stating the need for a criminal investigation into the case and the central government had forwarded the same to the state, asking for appropriate action. In turn, the state government had directed the ACB to probe the case.