Rs 150 cr kickbacks allegation: Janardhan Reddy appears before SIT, submits proof
- Janardhan Reddy had alleged that former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy had received Rs 150 cr kickbacks from mining companies
- Reddy was summoned by the SIT last month where he sought the time to provide the documents
- The Lokayukta SIT is looking into illegal mining case in the state
FollowFormer minister and mining baron G Janardhan Reddy  - on Tuesday - appeared before the Lokayukta Special Investigation Team (SIT) that is investigating into the illegal mining scam in Karnataka.
Reddy was summoned by the SIT asking him to furnish evidence in the allegations he had made against former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy of receiving Rs 150 cr as kickbacks from various mining firms for facilitating mining in Karnataka. The former minister alleged that JD(S) state president Kumaraswamy and his family received kickbacks worth Rs 150 crore. Earlier, Reddy who had appeared before the SIT had sought 15 days' time to produce the proof to support his claim.
In 2006, then BJP legislator Janardhan Reddy had alleged that then chief minister HD Kumaraswamy and his family members of allegedly receiving Rs 150 cr kickbacks from various mining companies. He had even released a CD that had purportedly shown then forest minister C Chennigappa discussing the alleged land deal with a few mining company representatives. These allegations had put the coalition government to test resulting in its collapse in the later days.
On Tuesday, Reddy appeared before the SIT office at Hebbal on Tuesday is said to have been grilled for more than two hours. He is said to have submitted a pen drive, bank statements and a video to support his allegations of kick-backs against Kumaraswamy.
When some of the mediapersons asked him why he needed two weeks' time produce the proof when he had made the allegations decade ago, Janardhan Reddy said he was busy with his various personal commitments. Also, he was involved in the celebrations of Hemareddy Mallamma Jayanti in his home town. So, he could not arrange the documents all this while, he told mediapersons. However, he refused to go into the details of the investigation.
