Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday extended its earlier order and directing the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to not arrest JD (S) State President H.D. Kumaraswamy till last week of July, in connection with the Janthakal mining scam.
The former chief minister has been accused of putting pressure on IAS officer Ganga Ram Baderiya, to renew the mining lease of Janthakal Enterprises in violation of norms.
Hearing the bail petition filed by Mr Kumaraswamy, Justice Rathnakala directed the SIT not to arrest the petitioner till further hearing and directed the petitioner to appear before the SIT if he is summoned.
Earlier, the judge also questioned Special Public Prosecutor P. Govindan, arguing for the SIT, about why there was no thorough probe in the same case earlier and questioned why multiple FIRs were filed in the same case. She also questioned the SPP whether the Supreme Court had ordered to start a probe against the petitioner.
Govindan sought time to get clarity from the Supreme Court on the same and the judge adjourned the hearing till last week of July. Meanwhile, the SPP submitted the case diary, which has the details of the SIT probe and statements of Mr Kumaraswamy and others, to the court.
He argued that the facts mentioned in the diary substantiates their plea for custodial interrogation of the petitioner.
But the court asked him to provide substantial records mentioning the exact reasons why the SIT needs the petitioner’s custody. Advocate Hashmath Pasha, representing Mr Kumaraswamy, submitted that his client had not passed any order to renew the mining lease of Janthakal Enterprises.
“The case is filed merely based on the statements made by other accused in the case. There were similar allegations in the past and the courts had granted anticipatory bail. Though the court has directed the petitioner to cooperate to the probe, the SIT has not summoned him for questioning. Further, we were not provided with the documents related to the allegations,” he submitted.
