Yeddyurappa back in jail, gets AC cell

Mangalore Today / PTI

Bangalore, Oct 19 : Former Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, arrested Saturday in corruption cases, Wednesday began his first day in an airconditioned 24X15 feet cell of the central prison here, after spending three days in two hospitals.

 

 

The 68-year-old Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader was taken back to the prison in the eastern suburb of Parappana Agrahara from Victoria Hospital in the central business district - this time without the drama that had unfolded when he got admitted to two hospitals in three days.

"After a check-up at the jail hospital, he was lodged in the cell," jail authorities told reporters. The cell has an attached bathroom as Yeddyurappa enjoys ’Y’ category security.

Yeddyurappa was on Saturday sent to judicial custody till Oct 22 by special Lokayukta court judge N.K. Sudhindra Rao in two of five cases of corruption and illegal land deals filed by two Bangalore advocates in January this year.

He did not stay in the jail for long and was shifted to Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Science and Research early Sunday after he complained of chest pain. He was taken to Victoria Hospital Tuesday evening as tests at the Jayadeva Institute showed he suffered no heart ailment. He got admitted to Victoria on the ground that he suffered from diabetics, high blood pressure and backache.

His supporters and police Wednesday did not try to block video cameramen and photographers from the media from capturing the moment. On both days they had used a bedspread to shut the view of the arrested former chief minister being wheeled in to hospital.

Yeddyurappa’s bail plea will be heard by the high court Thursday. The case against Yeddyurappa, filed by advocates, Sirajin Bhasha and N.K. Balaraj, is that he, his two sons - BJP Lok Sabha member B.Y. Raghavendra and B.Y. Vijayendra, son-in-law R. Sohan Kumar, - conspired to denotify government land in return for monetary gains.
Former state Muzrai (endowments) minister S.N. Krishnaiah Shetty, BJP legislator Hemachanda Sagar and several others are also accused in the cases.

The judge has given conditional bail to all the accused, except Yeddyurappa and Shetty, who too has moved the high court for bail. Shetty’s bail plea will also be heard Thursday.