CBI court adjourns Yeddyurappa's anticipatory bail plea

A special CBI court in Bangalore adjourned the anticipatory bail applications of former Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and his relatives to Tuesday.

The BJP leader, fearing arrest in the illegal mining case, had filed an anticipatory bail plea in the special court. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), however, opposed the plea, pointing out that granting bail to Yeddyurappa and his relatives would hamper investigations. The agency pointed out that it was probing the matter following directions from the Supreme Court.

Besides the former BJP chief minister, his sons B Y Raghavendra, who is an MP, and B Y Vijendra, and son-in-law Sohan Kumar, have also sought anticipatory bail. The CBI filed an FIR against all of them following raids on their homes.

The agency raided eight premises belonging to Yeddyurappa and his relatives in Bangalore and Shimoga. Searches were also carried out at his Hyderabad home. Earlier this month, the Supreme court, on the basis of a report by a central empowered committee, directed the CBI to probe donations received by a trust owned by Yeddyurappa's family, from two mining companies.

One of the mining firms donated Rs10 crore to the trust and also bought a 1.2-acre plot of land from his sons and son-in-law for Rs20 crore.

The three had got the land denotified when Yeddyurappa was the chief minister and had bought it for a mere Rs40 lakh.