Amid raids, Yeddyurappa seeks bail

The Central Bureau of Investigation is conducting raids at the residence of former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa in Bengaluru as part of its probe against  illegal mining. A special nine-member team of the CBI which conducted the searches early on Wednesday morning is expected to continue doing so through the day.

The CBI team, which has been split up into two, also conducted similar raids at the residences of Yeddyurappa's two sons and his son-in-law. The probe agency is looking for documents and evidence pertaining to the mining scam and also the case pertaining to the denotification of land, which was alleged to be illegal.

The searches are expected to continue through the week and the bank accounts for the senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and his kin will be under the scanner. Yeddyurappa and his accomplices will be grilled next week, said sources.

The CBI raid comes a day after a FIR was filed against Yeddyurappa, two sons and his son-in-law. The FIR accuses them of offences under the prevention of corruption act and also illegal mining.

The CBI investigation is being conducted on the directive of the Supreme Court and a report to this effect will be submitted by August 3.

Yeddy seeks anticipatory bail; I-T dept joins CBI in raids

Meanwhile, even as former Yeddyurappa approached the special Central Bureau of Investigation court seeking anticipatory bail in the illegal mining case, the probe agency was joined by the Income Tax department in conducting the raids at his residences.

Yeddyurappa's two sons and his son-in-law has also applied for bail.

The raids which commenced early on Wednesday morning in Bengaluru has now spread over to Mysore and Bellary.

The CBI team headed by an additional director general of police from New Delhi raided the house of Sohan Kumar, Yeddyurappa's son-in-law, in Mysore.

Raids are also being conducted in Bellary in the properties connected to the Jindal group which has been blamed for transferring money to an NGO run by Yeddyurappa's sons.

The CBI has now been joined in by the Income Tax department and would be conducting the raids in certain places jointly.

The CBI already has in its possession documents and statements of the witnesses as these cases have already been investigated by other agencies including the state Lokayukta.

However, the major part of the investigation now for the CBI would be relating to the money trail and lot of Yeddyurappa's family members and accomplices are likely to come under the scanner in the days to come.

Yeddyurappa who is apprehending arrest has moved the special CBI court seeking anticipatory bail. His bail plea is likely to come up before the court on Thursday, his legal advisor told rediff.com.