SC stays probe against Krishna

The de-reservation decision was taken in 2002 when Krishna was chief minister.

The Supreme Court on Friday stayed police investigation against External Affairs Minister S M Krishna into his role to de-reserve over 11,000 sq km of forest lands for mining when he was Karnataka chief minister.

Bringing relief to Krishna,a Bench of Justices Altamas Kabir and Gyan Sudha Misra said it was premature to subject the Foreign Minister,at this point of time,to a criminal investigation on the basis of a Lokayukta report which does not identify officials or persons who dealt with the de-reservation issue.

The de-reservation decision was taken in 2002 when Krishna was chief minister.

An FIR was registered by the Karnataka Lokayukta Police against Krishna on the basis of a private complaint filed by one T J Abraham for allegedly permitting illegal mining in Bellary and other locations in the state. The FIR also named former chief ministers H D Kumaraswamy and Dharam Singh.

Charges were levelled under the Prevention of Corruption Act,Forest Conservation Act,Forest Act,Minerals and Metals Regulation and Development Act and the Indian Penal Code.

Krishna had moved the Supreme Court after the Karnataka High Court gave the green signal for investigation into the matter on January 20 this year.

In the Supreme Court,the Foreign Minister,who was CM from October 1999 to May 2004,alleged that the entire case is politically motivated,saying,The present case is itself a classic example,where the complainant is an active member of a rival political party the Bahujan Samaj Party.

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Quoting the Karnataka Lokayukta Act,the Bench found fault with how Abraham,who is a party in the Supreme Court and represented by advocate Prashant Bhushan,immediately filed his criminal complaint against Krishna without even waiting for a follow-up report from the ombudsman which would identify the persons involved.

The fact,as noted by the Bench,that the second Lokayukta report too did not allegedly name anyone went in favour of Krishna.