Krishna gets SC reprieve from Karnataka HC order
27 Jan 2012
The Supreme Court today granted external affairs minister SM Krishna a reprieve when it granted a stay on the Karnataka high court order directing the lokayukta police to probe him in the alleged case of illegal mining during his tenure as the chief minister of the state.
"We are inclined to stay the proceedings. Accordingly the proceedings on the FIR on the issue ordered by the Karnataka lokayukta will remain stayed," a bench comprising justices Altamas Kabir and Gyan Sudha Misra said.
The bench went on to say that the order by the lokayukta court was "premature".
Issuing a notice to the Karnataka government and the complainant, on whose plea the FIR was registered, the Supreme Court has asked for their response within three weeks.
The court's orders came on a plea by Krishna, asking for quashing of private complaint and probe by lokayukta police against him over alleged illegal mining during his tenure as the Karnataka chief minister from 1999 to 2004.
In his petition, Krishna had challenged the 20 January ruling of the Karnataka high court, which turned down his plea for quashing the private complaint and proceedings the lokayukta special court had ordered against him.