Bengaluru-based businessman turned anti-graft activist TJ Abraham is quite popular in the political circles of Karnataka. Known for taking on powerful politicians, including incumbent chief ministers, and using the Right to Information Act as his weapon of choice, he is back in the news after submitting a petition to governor Thawar Chand Gehlot. The plea seeks consent to prosecute Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah in connection with alleged irregularities in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).
In this latest case, the anti-graft activist cites a precedent involving former chief minister BS Yediyurappa as a reason why consent should be granted by the Karnataka governor to prosecute Siddaramaiah in the MUDA case. He alleged that the MUDA row is a multi-crore scam causing huge losses to the state’s exchequer.
Abraham filed a complaint with the Lokayukta police in Mysuru on July 18, stating that the allotment of 14 alternative compensatory sites in Mysuru’s upscale Vijayanagar to the CM’s wife, BM Parvathi, on January 5, 2022, was illegal and allegedly caused a Rs 45 crore loss to the state exchequer. In his complaint, he named CM Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathi, Varuna MLA and Siddaramaiah’s son S Yathindra, MUDA commissioner DB Natesh, and MUDA chief HV Rajeev.
Abraham, who is the president of the Anti-Graft/Corruption and Environmental Forum, referenced how BSY faced a similar situation in an IUML legal identification case back in 2011 and was forced to step down. At that time, then-governor Hans Raj Bhardwaj granted consent to prosecute Yediyurappa. That case led to an FIR being filed against the BJP leader, a trial, and Yediyurappa facing imprisonment. Advocates Sirajin Basha and KN Balaraj had filed appeals to the governor for prosecution, leading to BSY’s arrest.
Similarly, Abraham has submitted a petition to Karnataka governor Thawar Chand Gehlot under Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, and Sections 17A and 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, for the prosecution of CM Siddaramaiah.
This is not the first time he has taken on powerful politicians in the state, including former chief ministers BS Yediyurappa, HD Kumaraswamy, SM Krishna, and Dharam Singh.
In 2021, Abraham filed a private complaint accusing BSY and eight others, including an IAS officer and several of his close relatives, of alleged bribery and money laundering over clearances given for the implementation of a housing project by a private firm named Ramalingam Construction Company Limited. The complaint alleged that Yediyurappa and his family took bribes from Ramalingam Construction Company and other shell companies in return for awarding Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) contracts. The allegation was that bribes totalling over Rs 12 crore were taken, including Rs 5 crore allegedly received by companies linked to a grandson of BSY from multiple shell companies in Kolkata. He sought a Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigation into the charges.
The complaint named BSY’s son BY Vijayendra, grandson Shashidar Maradi, son-in-law Sanjay Sree, minister ST Somashekar, the then BDA commissioner and IAS officer GC Prakash, Chandrakanth Ramalingam, then BDA chairperson K Ravi, and K Virupakshappa, apart from Yediyurappa.
The activist sought a sanction from then-governor Vajubhai Vala to prosecute Yediyurappa, who was the CM at the time. However, the sanction was denied by the governor. A special court had noted that there was some substance in the complaint that merited an investigation into the matter, but it rejected the complaint due to the denial of a sanction for the probe by the governor.
Abraham, who frequently files cases against elected representatives, had in 2011 filed multiple FIRs against then external affairs minister SM Krishna and two former Karnataka chief ministers, Dharam Singh and HD Kumaraswamy, for their alleged involvement in illegal mining in Karnataka, causing huge losses to the state exchequer. Based on his complaint, a special court in Karnataka had ordered a probe into Abraham’s private complaint against Krishna.
The complaint accused Krishna of destroying the state’s natural resources for personal gain while serving as chief minister between 1999 and 2004. In his complaint, he described how the Congress leader, as CM, made the decision to de-notify forest areas, marking the beginning of the illegal mining scam. The complaint also accused Krishna of amassing wealth in the name of his family members and erstwhile cabinet colleagues, all of which Abraham had obtained under RTI, he said.
“SM Krishna ignored the advice of the department secretary and ordered dereservation. It led to all kinds of illegalities,” the complaint stated.
Abraham’s tirade against two other former CMs, besides Krishna, now union ministers D Kumaraswamy, former Congress chief minister N Dharam Singh and 11 senior officials accused them of conspiracy and corruption.
Abraham at the time in his complaint stated that Singh ordered the issuance of temporary transport permits for the movement of iron and manganese ore from agricultural patta lands, resulting in a loss of Rs 23.22 crore to the government.
The RTI activist accused Kumaraswamy of illegally approving a mining lease for 550 acres of land in favour of Shree Sai Venkateshwara Minerals and committing illegalities with Jantkal Mining Company.
Karnataka MP and former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai told News18 that the governor was well within his constitutional rights that whenever a person submits a petition, he acts upon it.
“This happened to Yediyurappa when the Congress was in the Centre. He (Siddaramaiah) has to face the music because he has done something wrong. It is there in black and white. Why must he be afraid if he has not done anything wrong? This will be the beginning of the end of the Congress,” Bommai said.
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