Hegde denies naming S M Krishna in report on illegal mining

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Bangalore, July 22, 2011: Karnataka Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde today dismissed as ’totally wrong’ reports that he has named External Affairs Minister S M Krishna in his report on illegal mining in the state.

"No. He (Krishna) has not been named. It is totally wrong. Nor has the former Chief Minister of Karnataka (Dharam Singh) been named in this report. It is a report by the media not mine," Hegde told reporters here.

 

"I do not how this reporting has been done", said Hegde whose report has been leaked raising a political storm with opposition gunning for Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa’s resignation following his indictment on illegal mining issue.

In the leaked report, Hegde has strongly indicted Yeddyurappa, four of his ministerial colleagues and officials on the ’huge racket’ of illegal mining that has caused a loss of Rs 1,800 crore in a 14-month period from March 2009.

On whether he would be submitting the report to the government on July 25, Hegde, who had convened the press conferenece to give details of Lokayukta raids in different parts of the state, refused to answer the question saying it was not the appropriate forum.

On submitting a copy of the report to Governor H R Bhardwaj, he said "I am not obliged to do so. If I am asked by him to do so, I will do it".
Asked whether the much-awaited report on illegal mining would be put up on the official website, he said "no, you will have to ask for it under the RTI Act".

Asked whether he had received any offer from Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to occupy the post of Lokayuta there, Hegde said with a smile "no, not at all. I was only asked by Shanthi Bhushan (a member of the joint Lokpal drafting committee) whether I could assist him in preparing the Lokayukta report for Bihar and was asked through another member Arvind Kejriwal whether I could accompany Bhushan to Bihar for the purpose".

Meanwhile, the Minister decided to issue a legal notice to the newspaper which carried the report that he has been named by Hegde in the report on illegal mining.

He has instructed his counsel K K Venugopal to serve the legal notice tomorrow.

"The Lokayukta report is yet to be submitted to the government. The newspaper’s report is malicious and has been done with an intent to malign me," Krishna said over telephone from Bali in Indonesia, where he is on an official visit

Courtesy: Deccan Herald