Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: In massive setback for former Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, the Supreme Court-appointed Centrally Empowered Committee (CEC) on Friday recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged kickbacks received by BJP leader’s family members from a mining company.
As per the report, the CEC has alleged that Yeddyurappa`s family members had received Rs 6 crore in kickbacks from a mining firm.
The panel was appointed by the Supreme Court to probe illegal mining and related bribery cases in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
The allegation is that Praveen Chandra, a mine operator, had given Rs 2.5 crore to a firm run by Yeddyurappa`s son-in-law RN Sohan Kumar and Rs 3.5 crore to another firm owned by Vijayendra and his brother BY Raghavendra as a favour for facilitating license.
Raghavendra is Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha member from Karnataka.
Vijayendra said the CEC report states that "the mining operations of Praveen Chandra are completely legal, however in the interest of the public, the above cheque transactions needs to be investigated".
The allegation has been made by an NGO, Samaaja Parivarthana Samudaya. The NGO has sought a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
In the statement, Vijayendra said his father Yeddyurappa, who quit July 31 last year over corruption charges and is pressuring his party`s national leaders for re-instatement, had not given any licence to Chandra.
Vijayendra said Chandra`s mining application was made to the central government in 2002 and approved by it in 2006 when Yeddyurappa was not the chief minister. He assumed office in May 2008.
"After the central government`s recommendation, the state government has passed final notification order on October 12, 2010," he said.
Vijayendra said of the Rs 6 crore, which he claimed were "unsecured loans" taken in November 2009 though cheques, Rs 2.5 crores had been paid back to Chandra.
