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Synopsis

The Supreme Court today ordered stay on the proceedings initiated against Former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and others in a case filed on charges of bribery and corruption in relation to the construction of a multi crore housing project of the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA).

The Karnataka High Court had recently ordered restoring a bribery complaint filed against Yediyurappa, his son and others in the case alleging corruption in the housing project. 

Said order was passed in a plea filed by activist TJ Abraham who had challenged the order of special court refusing sanction to prosecute Yediyruappa and other accused.

A division bench of Justices CY Chandrachud and Hima Kohli today issued notice to Abraham in the matter and directed for a counter affidavit to be filed within four weeks.

Abraham alleged that Yediyurappa and his family members accepted crores of rupees as bribes through “shell companies” from a contractor for getting him bids to construct a multi crore housing project of the BDA.

It was his contention that the former chief minister misused his influence and office to get the sanction for prosecution denied and got the office of the governor to issue a letter dated June 24, 2021, addressed to the complainant.

The special court had dismissed the case for want of sanction to prosecute Yediyruappa and Somashekhar, who were the chief minister and a minister respectively at that time.

The case pertains to the allegations of allegedly receiving kickbacks from a contractor for a housing project of the BDA.

On July 31, 2021, a division bench of the High Court of Karnataka referred to a single judge bench the petition that sought a direction for a probe against Yediyurappa, some of his family members and others on allegations of receiving bribe from a construction company in relation to a contract for a project.

Case Title: BS Yediyurappa vs. Abraham