After 23 days in jail, Yeddyurappa gets bail

Former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa was on Tuesday granted bail by the Karnataka high court. He has spent 23 days behind bars after being arrested over a land scam.

Justice B V Pinto granted the bail after hearing his bail plea, on the condition that the former CM furnishes a bond of Rs 10 lakh and a surety of the same amount.

Justice while dealing with the fears allayed by the complainant in this case stated that the chance of Yeddyurappa tampering with the evidence would not arise. This is mainly because all the evidence has been documented. This point had also been raised before the Lokayukta court.

The judge on that occasion had stated that if Yeddyurappa remains out then he would tamper with the evidence as he is a very powerful person.

The other aspect that went in Yeddyurappa's favour is the fact that Justice Pinto states that there are certain technical issues concerning this case. The sworn affidavits don't make an averment to the authenticity of the documents that have been produced in this case.

Yeddyurappa's legal team is now trying to prepare the paperwork by Tuesday evening to secure his release.

Yeddyurappa was arrested on October 15 after a Special Lokayukta court cancelled his bail and issued an arrest warrant against him. He was arrested over charges that he had denotified land while misusing his powers ass the CM, to help his family make financial gains.

Yeddyurappa may be released soon but his legal battles will continue. He is facing at least eight other cases, including one based on the charges made against him in the Lokayukta report on illegal mining. The report had forced Yeddyurappa to step down as the CM.

Yeddyurappa's legal team has already filed anticipatory bail pleas in all other cases against him.

Yeddyurappa's arrest had its dramatic moments. After surrendering to the court, he was taken to jail and then shifted to a hospital, after he complained of chest pain.

But he had to go back behind bars after the doctors pronounced him fit after a couple of days.