HC grants anticipatory bail to Yeddyurappa, family members

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The Karnataka High Court on Thursday granted conditional anticipatory bail to former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and three of his family members in an illegal mining case holding that the allegations in the CBI FIR are "not something new".

Besides Yeddyurappa, his sons B.Y. Raghavendra and B.Y. Vijendra, and son-in-law R.N. Sohan Kumar secured relief after a CBI court rejected their bail plea on June 13.

In his order, Justice Subash B. Adi said the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) report on illegal mining on the basis of which the Supreme Court directed CBI to probe the matter was 'a carbon copy' of the first complaint on illegal land denotification case filed by advocate Sirajin Basha in which Yeddyurappa has already been granted bail.

"The allegations contained in FIR registered by CBI are not something new," Justice Adi observed.

"The High Court has granted anticipatory bail to Yeddyurappa and three others, albeit with certain conditions - namely in the event of the accused being arrested, they are to be forthwith released on furnishing bonds including surety and other requirements," Prabhuling Navadagi, an advocate representing Yeddyurappa, told reporters.

He also said they would not leave Bangalore except with prior permission of the CBI. Justice Adi observed that there was no question of tampering with evidence and Yeddyurappa and three others had cooperated with the CBI and appeared before it.
Considering the position Yeddyurappa was placed in, Justice Adi felt that the accused was not likely to flee from justice.

Yeddyurappa expressed happiness over the Court order, saying, "I have highest respect for judiciary. I have got great respect and regards for CBI. I will cooperate with the investigations," he said.

He said, he and his family members were ready to go to CBI office whenever called.