Karnataka ex-CM to face trial for misuse of official position

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday paved the way for criminal trial of former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy and his wife Anita for alleged misuse of official position in granting lease to a mining firm and allotment of 80 acres of land to a private cooperative society.

“You should face trial,” said the bench of Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice PC Pant while setting aside the Karnataka High Court order that quashed the proceedings against the two pending before a special lokayukta court. The HC order was challenged by the complainant.

The bench rejected Kumaraswamy’s contention that the case was made out of political vendetta. “Of course, you are a political person. You will say it... just because you were chief minister, it does not mean that you would not face trial,” the bench said.

The complainant, advocate M Vinod Kumar, had challenged the HC order of October 21, 2011 stating it could not have quashed the proceedings against the couple.

The allegations against the Janata Dal (Secular) leader include that he abused his official position in granting lease to a mining company for lifting of one lakh tonnes of iron ore.

The bench clarified that it had not expressed any opinion on the merit of the allegations and all the defences would be open to the accused. The cases against Kumaraswamy and his wife Anita, then a JD(S) MLA, are related to renewal of mining lease to Jantakal Mining Firm, and alleged irregularities in allotment of sitestoVishwabharathiHousing Cooperative Society in 2006.