Bangalore:
One more BJP Minister in Karnataka landed in legal trouble with a court summoning C P Yogeshwar and four others in cases relating to alleged irregularities in a real estate project promoted by him.
Eighth Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Kiran Kini directed Yogeshwar, holding charge of Forest portfolio, to appear in the court after two weeks in the cases relating to the Mega City project.
Taking a cognisance of 14 cases filed by the Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs, the ACMM observed there was prima facie evidence to proceed against Yogeshwar under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and Companies Act.
The judge also issued summons to four other accused.
The Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) of the Corporate Affairs Ministry, which investigated complaints from investors in the project, had pegged the alleged "misappropriation"committed by Yogeshwar, Managing Director of Megacity Developers and Builders Limited (MDBL), at Rs 39 crore.
The SFIO revealed that from 2005-06, MDBL entered into 450 sale agreements but sold only 62 sites.
After verifying 21 agreements, SFIO found that all of them were fraudulent and made with false documents.
MDBL had claimed that it had entered into an agreement with farmers for purchase of land and paid them money.
However, the balance sheet provided by MDBL could not provide evidence to prove that the amount was actually paid to farmers, the SFIO report had said.
Yogeshwar is the latest BJP Minister to face court proceedings after Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani and Housing Minister V Somanna. Former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa is facing a spate of corruption cases.
Others against whom court cases are on include former ministers S N Krishnaiah Setty, H Halappa and Katta Subramanya Naidu.