CBI court acquits Yeddyurappa, sons in illegal mining case
CBI Court also acquitted his two sons BY Vijayendra and BY Raghavendra, son-in-law RN Sohan Kumar in Bellary illegal mining case
Satyameva Jayathe. Justice is done. I stand vindicated, tweeted an elated Yeddyurappa
Yeddyurappa, along with four others was charged with
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The court has given clean chit to Yeddyurappa, who was accused of accepting a bribe of ₹40 crore, during his stint as the chief minister of Karnataka.
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He along with his two sons BY Vijayendra and BY Raghavendra, son-in-law RN Sohan Kumar and former Minister SN Krishnaiah Setty were charged with bribery, forgery and cheating.
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Yeddyurappa posted a tweet as soon as the news of his acquittal broke.
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Elated by a CBI court verdict acquitting him in a graft case, former Karnataka Chief Minister and state BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa has said he stands vindicated. Yeddyurappa's two sons and son-in-law also acquitted in Bellary mines case.
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"I am happy that false allegations and politically motivated charges have been dismissed," the Karnataka BJP strongman told reporters, with the judicial pronouncement coming as a big political boost to him.
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Yeddyurappa, appointed Karnataka BJP President in April this year to revive the party's fortunes, said the verdict had also given him a "new fillip" to bring the party back to power in the state, slated to go for assembly elections in 2018.
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"Satyameva Jayathe. Justice is done. I stand vindicated," said Yeddyurappa in a tweet soon after the special CBI court pronounced the verdict with enthusiastic BJP workers celebrating it by bursting crackers and hailing him in the city civil court complex.
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Judge R B Dharmagouder of the CBI court acquitted Yeddyurappa, his two sons and son-in-law in the Rs 40 crore kickbacks case related to illegal mining, which had led to his exit as chief minister in 2011.
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"I have got relief... lakhs of party workers are happy. I am very happy and satisfied," Yeddyurappa said, as the judgment brought a huge sense of relief to the Lingayat strongman who has been cleared of corruption in most of the cases but still faces several others in different courts.
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Yeddyurappa, credited with guiding the party to form its first-ever government in the south in 2008, said, "This (the court verdict) has come as a great power for me to bring the BJP back to power in Karnataka..."
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Lakhs of party workers were "relieved" by the judgement, which had also given him "great self confidence, he said.
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Yeddyurappa's son B Y Raghavendra said "baseless" charges were made against their family with a "political motive."
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Raghavendra, a member of the Assembly, said his family faced a "lot of pain" in the last five years but they have finally got justice which would help them further strengthen the party.
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He said he was confident that BJP would come back to power in Karnataka under the leadership of Yeddyurappa.