Why not SIT completion report submitted to SC, questioned Union minister
BENGALURU: Taking exception to the Karnataka Lokayukta sleuths seeking Governor’s nod for sanction of his prosecution in connection with illegal iron ore mining case, former Chief Minister and Union Minister of Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy on Wednesday questioned the State Government “Have you submitted the completion report of the Special Investigation Team which investigated the illegal iron ore mining case (against me) to the Supreme Court.”
Kumaraswamy, at a press conference in Bengaluru, reacted to the Karnataka Lokayukta sleuths seeking a fresh Governor’s permission to file a charge sheet against him in connection with alleged ‘illegal’ approval for 550-acre mining lease through a letter dated 6/10/2007 to Sai Venkateshwara Minerals in Sandur of Ballari district when he served the State as Chief Minister.
While the Supreme Court asked for submission of SIT completion report within 3 months of investigation in 2017, Kumaraswamy said “It is 2024 now yet no SIT investigation completion report has been submitted to the Supreme Court by the State Government.”
“I moved the Supreme Court in 2014 regarding the illegal iron ore mining case and the State Government constituted a Special Investigation Team to investigate the illegal iron ore mining case in 2017. The Supreme Court asked the State Government to investigate and the investigation has been completed but its completion report has not yet been submitted to the Supreme Court,” said the Union Minister.
He asked the State Government “Did Supreme Court ask you to knock on the doors of the Governor's office?” and he stated “Finally all the matters are to be decided by the Supreme Court (not Governor).”
The Union Minister denied having inserted his signature to Sai Venkateshwara Minerals to grant mining lease when he was the Chief Minister and blamed officials concerned for preparing files. “Hundreds of files came to my office. I do not know about any file of Sai Venkateshwara Minerals. Moreover it dates back to 2007," he said.
“It is not my signature (displaying a copy of a letter alleged to have been signed by him in 2007 to grant mining lease) and it has to be verified. Let officials concerned get my signature verified in any international Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL),” he said.
Before action, Kumaraswamy said “Signature has to be proved” and also ruled out his hand writing on a letter to grant mining lease to Sai Venkateshwara Minerals.
He alleged Sai Venkateshwara Minerals a “fraud” company and suspected that the letter claiming grant of mining license could also be “fraud” and wanted the matter to be investigated.
Criticising the State Government, he said, “For about 8 months a constant attempts have been made to fix in me denotification or any other case fearing that I will expose the State Government of wrongdoings with supporting documents.”
