Final arguments in BSY bribe case posted to July 11

The CBI special court has posted the case against former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, his kin and mining firm JSW for final arguments to July 11. The CBI had chargesheeted Yeddyurappa and others in a corruption case.

The CBI court has completed examination of 126 witnesses so far and also recorded the documents.

The special court has recorded the statements of all the 13 accused in the case, including Yeddyurappa, who is the state BJP president, recently. A senior advocate said the special public prosecutor for the CBI will commence final arguments in the case from July 11 and subsequently the counsel representing the accused will also place final arguments.

FIR in 2012
The CBI had taken up the case on the direction of the Supreme Court to probe allegations of bribe received by Yeddyurappa's family members from the steel major JSW. The CBI had registered the FIR in May 2012. After investigations, the CBI had filed the chargesheet against Yeddyurappa, his sons B Y Vijayendra, B Y Raghavendra, son-in-law Sohan Kumar, former Muzrai minister Krishnaiah Setty, JSW Steels' CEO Vinod Nowal, senior vice-president Vikash Sharma and promoter Sajjan Jindal, among others.

The CBI case was that the two sons and the son-in-law of Yeddyurappa had purchased land measuring about 1.12 acres for Rs 40 lakh, which was notified for the formation of Arkavathy Layout.

The same land was later sold at an exorbitant rate of Rs 20 crore to South West Mining Company owned by JSW Steels, even though the guidance value of the land was just Rs 1.5 crore. JSW, through its other sister companies, paid Rs 20 crore as donation to Prerana Trust run by the kin of Yeddyurappa.

The CBI stated in the chargesheet that JSW paid the bribe for being spared of paying Rs 890 crore dues to the state government when Yeddyurappa was the chief minister.