The alleged illegal mining case against three former chief ministers – S.M. Krishna, N. Dharam Singh and H.D. Kumaraswamy – reached the Supreme Court-constituted Central Empowered Committee on Friday.
Mr Abraham T.J. of Bengaluru, who has filed the complaint before the Lokayukta court in Bengaluru, requested the CEC, which has been looking into illegal mining cases, to order a CBI probe against the three former chief ministers.
He stated that the nexus between illegal mining and politicians in the state started with the alleged deliberate and malafide de-reservation of forests for mining by then chief minister S.M. Krishna in an order dated December 16, 2002 (which was notified on March 15, 2003).
“Now that you have categorically deemed it fit that the affairs of BSY merit an investigation by the CBI, you are morally and legally required to deal with the affairs of S.M. Krishna, N. Dharam Singh and H.D. Kumaraswamy in an even more stringent manner. I most humbly pray that you also recommend for CBI enquiry into their roles in illegal mining,” he stated in his application.
He said that the order on de-reservation of forest land, dated December 16, 2002, is not found anywhere in the files, but only the notification informing the public that those lands were available for allotment to the public was. The Lokayukta report has mentioned the de-reservation in chapter 10 and it required criminal investigation, he stated. Mr Abraham also requested a CBI inquiry against Mr Dharam Singh and Mr Kumaraswamy.
He said the CEC received his application on Friday. Based on Mr Abraham’s complaint, the Lokayukta special court ordered an investigation against the three former CM on December 3, 2011. Mr Abraham had stated that as Mr Krishna, between 1999 and 2004, allowed de-reservation of 6,832.48 hectares of prime iron ore-bearing forest land which paved way for large-scale illegal mining.
He said Mr Dharam Singh caused financial loss of Rs31 crore to the state exchequer. HDK allegedly approved mining leases in 550 acres of forest land in favour of an unregistered partnership firm in violation of the rules and renewed a firm’s lease with retrospective effect on the same day.