Former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa today justified in the Lokayukta Court here the denotification of government land by him and said complaints against him for his action were an attempt to put him behind the bars with a political agenda. Arguing on Yeddyurappa's bail applications before Judge N K Sudhindra Rao,senior Supreme Court counsel Uday Lalit said the denotification was "perfectly justified in the exercise of power and there is no prima facie case." Yeddyurappa has moved the court for bail in two complaints alleging irregularities in denotification of land. Besides him,14 alleged benami holders for his family members are accused in the complaints. "There is nothing wrong in the exercise of power unless one is able to establish a hidden agenda and in this case where is proof to establish the link between Yeddyurappa and the close associates who have been mentioned," Lalit said. Yeddyurappa as Chief Minister had only acted on the report of the surveyor and denotified the lands,he contended. Lalit said the very fact that the Lokyukta police refused to register the complaint before the complainant took the matter to the Governor showed that "no case was made out." Instead of approaching the court after the Lokayukta police's refusal,the complainant approached the Governor "at a stage when probe was still necessary as he (complainant) himself had pointed out," Lalit said. He contended the accused was very much entitled to bail as the stage of investigation was "already out with the cognisance being taken". He also said the question of influencing of the witnesses and tampering of evidence "simply does not arise" as the complainant was never stopped by the accused from collecting the necessary documents from all the concerned departments and these documents could now be placed in the custody of court. Another senior Counsel Ravi Naik said "all this was a concerted effort to see him (Yeddyurappa) behind the bars and was being done with a political agenda". The court later adjourned to September 19 the hearing on the bail applications. Five complaints comprising 15 cases have been filed by lawyer Sirajin Basha against Yeddyurappa and others.
