HDK and wife skip date with court

Lokayukta special court summoned Kumaraswamy, accused in an illegal mining case, and Anitha, accused in a land scam; couple has now been asked to appear in court on September 5 or face arrest

HDK and wife skip date with court

Lokayukta special court summoned Kumaraswamy, accused in an illegal mining case, and Anitha, accused in a land scam; couple has now been asked to appear in court on September 5 or face arrest
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After former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa skipped attendance in court recently, it was ex-CM H D Kumaraswamy and his wife Anitha's turn to do the same yesterday. The Lokayukta special court, summoned Kumaraswamy and his wife in separate cases, but the couple failed to turn up citing health reasons. This prompted Justice N K Sudindra Rao to make a serious observation and he asked that the accused appear on September 5, failing which arrest warrants will be issued by the court.

Unhealthy practice: Former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy and his
wife Anitha skipped court procedure citing health reasons, which did
not go down well with the judge hearing the cases. File pic

Just a day earlier, arch rival Yeddyurappa appeared before the court on graft charges and suffered a set back, as the Lokayukta special court rejected his anticipatory bail petition, while the High Court refused to stay legal proceedings against him.

No excuses?
"Health reasons cannot be accepted for absence. If they fail to appear in the next hearing, the court will issue arrest warrants," said Rao. Kumaraswamy is accused in an illegal mining case involving Jantakal Mines, while Anitha is the main accused in a land scam involving Viswabharathi Housing Society.

The Lokayukta police have filed cases against them in the Lokayukta special court and the couple had applied for anticipatory bail in the same court. They had meanwhile moved the HC with a plea to quash the legal proceedings against them in the Lokayukta special court.

The Lokayukta special court quashed the anticipatory bail petition before taking up the regular case yesterday.
The HC rejected the plea to grant interim stay on the legal proceedings, while admitting the main petition for hearing.

Now, the couple has to apply for regular bail in the Lokayukta special court when they appear on September 5. The prosecution has to file objections to the bail petition, following which the court will decide on granting bail. If the bail is rejected the couple have serve a jail term as under trial prisoners.

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