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Bangalore:
Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, mining barons Reddy
brothers, Janata Dal-Secular leader H.D. Kumaraswamy and Congress
MP Anil Lad are involved in one way or another in illegal mining,
Lokayukta (ombudsman) N. Santosh Hegde said Thursday.
Hegde, a retired judge of the Supreme Court, admitted that his
report, yet to be submitted to the government, was leaked late
Wednesday and apologised for the lapse.
Hegde, whose five-year term expires Aug 2, became emotional at the
early morning press meet over the leak.
The report blames Yeddyurappa for not taking steps to check
illegal mining even after the Lokayukta submitted a report on it
in December 2008.
The chief minister's sons and son-in-law are said to be involved
as well.
Besides the Reddy brothers, Tourism Minister G. Janardhana and
Revenue Minister G. Karunakara, their associate, Health Minister
B. Sreeramulu, is also said to be guilty of illegal mining.
Kumaraswamy, who was chief minister in the shortlived JD-S-BJP
coalition in 2006-07, has been found to have granted mining
license to two companies flouting rules.
Hegde acknowledged that most of the points circulating on the
basis of the leak find mention in the report.
He said the leak of the report would not lessen its importance.
Hegde said he had reason to believe that his phones had been
tapped and this could have led to the leak of the report. None of
his officers involved in preparing the report was responsible, he
asserted.
He will submit the report to the government Friday.
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