The green bench of the Supreme Court on Friday deferred hearing on the Central Empowerment Committee (CEC) on forests’ report recommending a CBI probe against former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa in the mining related land deal case.
The forest bench comprising Chief Justice of India and Justices Aftab Alam and Swatanter Kumar deferred the hearing mainly because a special leave petition related to the Lokayukta case against Mr Yeddyurappa is yet to be taken up by another bench.
The CJI stated though the forest bench has not yet read the CEC report but it did not want to take it up until the SLP related to the Lokayukta case is taken up by a regular bench as some issues might overlap in the two cases.
“We have not looked into the CEC report yet. But we don’t want overlapping of the issues,” the CJI remarked while indicating that the CEC report related to the former CM will only be taken after the other case is heard, which is probably listed on Monday.
“Let that matter come on Monday. We are not in a hurry,” the CJI said before adjourning the hearing in the Karnataka illegal iron ore mining case, in which the CEC has recommended four-phased “restoration and rehabilitation” of the environment at the cost of the mining companies in three districts, Chitradurga, Tumkur and Bellary.
The CEC in its report recommended a CBI probe into the alleged illegal allotment of an agriculture land first in the name of the kin of Mr Yeddyurappa for `40 lakhs in 2006 and then selling it to South-West Mining Limited for `20 crores.
The companies also allegedly payed a donation of `10 crores to Prerna Education Society run by the family members and relatives of Mr Yeddyurappa.
Besides, the panel recommended a CBI probe against the former CM in the alleged quid-pro-quo “undue favour” to Jindal group, which also had paid “large donations” and in the bargain received large quantities of illegal minerals and permission to extract ironore in the state.