Advocate informs court that his client was abroad and did not receive summons; judge orders that he should cut short trip and be present on Saturday at all costs
Advocate informs court that his client was abroad and did not receive summons; judge orders that he should cut short trip and be present on Saturday at all costs
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The Lokayukta special court took former BJP Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu to task for abstaining from a hearing into the KIADB case yesterday. The court directed Katta Subramanya to be present for the next hearing on Saturday afternoon.
Far from home: Lokayukta police sources said that ever since the
summons was issued after the filing of chargesheet, the gate at
Katta Subramanya's house was locked. File pic
The matter came up yesterday morning when the former minister's advocate stated that because his client was on a business trip abroad, he did not receive the summons.
The other accused indicated in the case -- pertaining to the application filed by Itasca Company for the project and alleged acceptance of kickback amount of Rs 87 crore -- Katta Jagadish, S V Srinivas of Itasca, Chairman of United Telecom Basavapoornaiah, Former Special Land Acquisition Officer of KIADB Muninarayanappa, Corporator Gopi and Panchayat member B K Manju appeared before the court.
No excuse
The Lokayukta court judge Sudheendra Rao took serious note of Katta Subramanya's absence and when his advocate broke the news that the accused was abroad since the day the court took cognizance of the chargesheet, the judge said that he should have cut short the trip.
"Hearing dates cannot be fixed according to the tour schedule of the accused. He has to cut short his tour and be present in the court. The accused number 2 (Katta Jagadish) could have accepted the summons copy and informed accused number 1 (Katta Subramanya). He (Katta Subramanya) has to be present personally at the next hearing, so as other accused," the judge directed all the accused.
Lokayukta police sources said that ever since the summons was issued after the filing of chargesheet, the gate at Katta Subramanya's house was locked. Finally, the summons was pasted on the gate.
The Lokayukta police in the chargesheet stated that Katta Jagadish approached the Karnataka Udyoga Mitra with the Itasca Company's proposal for the SEZ's Bandikodigehalli project with a Demand Draft taken from his bank account. Despite incomplete application, then Industry Minister Katta Subramanya placed it before the high level committee and cleared the file.
After the land was acquired without consent of the land owners, United Telecom bought shares of Itasca valued at about Rs 300 crore and a kickback amount of Rs 87 crore was transferred to the account of Indu Builders and Developers. The address given in the bank for this 'front company' was Soubhagya Petrol Bunk, owned by Katta Subramanya's wife Soubhagya.
Warrant against two
The Lokayukta special court issued non-bailable warrants against two accused S Jaggaiah and B L Venkaiah, both showed as absconding accused in the chargesheet. Both were found to be signatories for the unregistered Indu Builders and Developers' Bank account. Police sources said that the duo worked at the petrol bunk and were indeed the signatories in all the transaction that took place through the account, including the kickback of Rs 87 crore. The court directed Lokayukta DySP to execute the NBW personally and produce the duo at the next hearing, which is July 23.
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