Latest news with #SpecialCourtforLokayuktaCases
New Indian Express
19 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Graft: Lokayukta Court rejects bail plea of Palike engineer
BENGALURU: The trapping of more than six BBMP engineers within a span of two weeks shows the range of corruption and its impact on society, said the Special Court for Lokayukta Cases while rejecting the bail application filed by HV Yarappareddy, Executive Engineer, Sir CV Raman Nagar Division, BBMP East Zone. Yarappareddy was arrested by the Lokayukta police on June 17 after he collected Rs 10 lakh as bribe from the contractor for the release of the bill for the work undertaken pertaining to the comprehensive development of drainages and roads from the BBMP through a private firm. 'In the BBMP, no one can expect the work at the hands of the officials without paying illegal gratification', observed Judge KM Radhakrishna while passing the order rejecting the bail application of the accused. Hemanth GM, a civil contractor, did the civil work during 2023-24 and submitted the bill for payment. The accused engineer has kept those bills pending with him without clearing. He made a call through his friend's mobile number to the accused, who in turn demanded the undue advantage of Rs 10 lakh to do the official favour in the matter of clearing the bills. Unable to pay the bribe, the contractor approached the Lokayukta police, who laid the trap and arrested the accused along with the bribe money on June 17. Before the court, the accused, through his counsel, claimed that there was no demand by him and acceptance of a bribe, but a story of 'demand and acceptance' was created by the complainant with the help of his friend, whose mobile phone was used to call the accused. Opposing the bail application, the public prosecutor apprised the court as to how the accused was actively involved in the crime and the impact on the prosecution witnesses if he is released on bail, besides destroying the evidence. The court observed that the material prima facie goes to expose the direct involvement of the accused in committing the alleged offence, which is socio-economic in nature.
New Indian Express
20-06-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Lokayukta SIT gets court rap for making accused witnesses
BENGALURU: Special Court for Lokayukta Cases on Thursday castigated Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing illegal mining for making the accused witnesses for reasons known only to them. Philip J Jacob, the proprietor of M/s Amalgiris, allegedly exported 13,400 MT ore to China from Belekeri port out of 14,483 MT purchased by him. But except accused No.1 (G B Shivakumar, proprietor of M/s GBS Transports) and 2 (G S Gopala Krishna, partner of M/s Balaji Roadlines), who are the first purchasers, the rest are not the accused in the case despite the existence of sufficient material to reveal their prima facie involvement in committing the alleged offences, said KM Radhakrishna, Judge, Special Court for Lokayukta Cases. The SIT registered the crime in 2015 against Jacob, who has been made a witness in the charge sheet now, and unknown government officers, officials and private individuals under the provisions of IPC, Prevention of Corruption Act, Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulations) Act, on the charges of exporting iron ore 38,300 MT illegally from Belekeri port to M/s Devi Trading Company Limited in China, in 2009 and illegally gained Rs 4.72 crore and caused crores of rupees loss to the state's exchequer. Noting that there are no reasons to cite them (the accused) as prosecution witnesses instead of accused persons, the court noted that when the entire transaction in respect of stolen 39,861 MT of iron ore is alleged to be illegal, such illegality and the transportation of the ore from one destination to another is highly impossible, in the absence of active participation or cooperation by the officers and officials from departments of mines and geology, forest, commercial tax, transport authority, port and customs authority including the service providers, the court said.
