[1]The Supreme Court constituted Central Empowered Committee (CEC) on Saturday issued a notice to former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa to appear in person or through an advocate at its office in New Delhi on March 20 to present his defence on charges that he had received a bribe to allow illegal mining by a company in the state.
The CEC is prepared to hear him out before making its recommendations on whether the CBI should be asked to look into charges that his family run trust had recieved huge amounts from a mining company. The committee is likely to submit its recommendations to the Supreme Court by next Friday when its forest bench is scheduled to hear the illegal mining case.
Convenor of the NGO, Samaj Parivartan Samudaya , S.R. Hiremath, who was instrumental in taking the battle against illegal mining to the Supreme Court, claims that besides Mr Yeddyurappa, the CEC has also issued notice to Jindal Steel Works and Adani Enterprises. The NGO, which had in an interlocutory application urged the Supreme Corut to order a CBI probe into the bribery charges against Mr Yeddyurappa and his alleged proximity to JSW and Adani Enterprises, has also received notice to appear before the CEC to explain his case.
The CEC is believed to be considering whether it would be right to order a CBI investigation into the matter when the Lokayukta court is already hearing cases pertaining to the corruption charges. The state government had opposed a CBI probe against Mr Yeddyurappa in an affidavit filed on March 2 before the CEC saying it was not warranted at this point as all the issues raised were already being looked into by the Lok Ayukta court and other courts.
The SPS however contended that this did not prevent the Supreme Court from directing an investigation by the CBI based on the CEC's recommendation.
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