Why SIT report not submitted to SC: Kumaraswamy on K'taka Lokayukta move

Bengaluru, Aug 21 (IANS) Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy, on Wednesday, said he was not scared of the developments in connection with the Karnataka Lokayukta seeking sanction for his prosecution, and questioned why the SIT report has not been submitted to the Supreme Court. 

He said this while reacting to the corruption charges made against him by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and the Lokayukta SIT moving to the Governor for consent to file a charge sheet against him.

Addressing a press conference here, Kumaraswamy said if the probe against him was complete, then why the Lokayukta Special Investigation Team (SIT) has not submitted a report to the Supreme Court.

"The report by Lokayukta prepared by senior IPS officer U.V. Singh in this regard mentions the names of three Chief Ministers. It mentions the names of former CMs S.M. Krishna, late former CM N. Dharam Singh and myself. The report maintains that it won't recommend any action and leaves it to the discretion of the government to initiate action. I had brought out the issue before the people with records then," Kumaraswamy stated.

"The Congress has attempted to fix me in the case when I was the CM in 2008. One of the MLAs had charged that I had collected Rs 150 crore from owners of mining companies. After gathering the support of MLAs I had declared that I would fight the charge single-handedly. It had led to a discussion then," Kumaraswamy stated.

"The petition was not submitted seeking the judicial probe, including that of the opposition leaders in the case. Then, I had ordered the Lokayukta investigation into the matter," the Union Minister said.

"I have gathered information that there are more than 61 cases against CM Siddaramaiah before the Lokayukta. The probe is yet to begin in 50 cases. CM Siddaramaiah is claiming that his political life is an open book and he is being targeted as he is a leader of backward classes. The CM also alleged that there was a plan to overthrow his government. If he is so correct, how can the opposition cause harm to him?" Kumaraswamy stated.

"The SIT sleuths had issued a notice to me in 2017. If I wished I could have got the case closed in 2018. I obtained bail from the court and faced the probe. The Supreme Court had given a direction to complete the probe in three months. The SIT officers had submitted their report in 2018. In spite of all this, we formed the coalition government with the Congress then," Kumaraswamy said.

Hitting back at the Congress MLA and CM's legal advisor A.S. Ponnanna, Kumaraswamy stated, that he was not the only legal expert. "I get information from the residence of the CM. I don't know whether all the documents in the case are available to the government. I don't know whether the SIT has them, I have kept them safe with me," Kumaraswamy stated.

"I have all documents pertaining to the Sai Venkateshwara Minerals. The investigation is conducted on my signatures. The company had misguided the court," he charged.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday criticised Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on his "selective" approach, saying the Governor has adopted a "biased" approach on the consent issue needed for an investigation against Union Minister Kumaraswamy.

“Why has the Governor adopted a biased approach when it comes to granting sanction for investigation against me and Kumaraswamy,” said CM Siddaramaiah while responding to media persons here after the Lokayukta Special Investigation Team (SIT) wrote to the Governor seeking consent to file a charge sheet against Kumaraswamy.

The CM said the SIT sought consent for the investigation against Kumaraswamy in November 2023 in the Sri Sai Venkateshwara Minerals (SSVM) case but the Governor did not grant any consent.

“In my case, the Governor took a different stance and issued a show-cause notice within a day. It is not difficult to understand why the Governor is selective,” CM Siddaramaiah said.

He also confirmed that the SIT has approached the Governor again seeking prosecution against Kumaraswamy.

Criticising the Governor on granting consent for an investigation in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land case, CM Siddaramaiah earlier questioned why there was so much haste in his case while no sanction was issued against Kumaraswamy in a similar case.

“An investigation has been conducted in the MUDA case. There was no involvement, no letter, or order from me,” said CM Siddaramaiah.

In Sri Sai Venkateshwara Minerals (SSVM), it is alleged that illegal activities were committed in 2007 when Kumaraswamy was the Chief Minister. He is accused of awarding a contract to the SSVM Company for mining 550 acres of land.

The SIT is conducting the probe based on a report on illegal mining by the then Karnataka Lokayukta, Justice N. Santhosh Hegde.

Kumaraswamy has been charged under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA), the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act. The SIT sought consent from Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on November 21, 2023, to submit a charge sheet against him.

In response, the Governor wrote a letter to the SIT on July 29, 2024, seeking clarifications. The SIT submitted the clarifications to the Governor’s queries on Monday.

Along with the response, the SIT again sought permission from the Governor to file a charge sheet against Kumaraswamy.