Yeddyurappa's trust got illegal funds, says JD-S

In a fresh salvo against Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, Janata Dal-Secular leader H D Kumaraswamy alleged that he and his family had secured "illegal gains" through donations of Rs 27.18 crore made to a trust run by the CM's son.

The donations were made in the last two years by various persons and firms, some for favours, Kumaraswamy alleged, releasing the documents to "expose" Yeddyurappa's corruption. He alleged that the trust had been able to raise Rs 27.18 crore in the corpus donation by "misusing the office of the chief minister".

"The CM's sons, by rendering official favours to the donors, had colleged huge donations for the trust," claimed Kumaraswamy who has been persistently targetting Yeddyurappa over allegations of corruption and nepotism.

The JD-S said in a statement that Kumaraswamy had released the documents in Delhi, copies of

which were circulated in Bengaluru as well. The trust had received donations from developers and a public limited mining firm, which had given Rs 10 crore, among others, Kumaraswamy claimed. It had also received donation of Rs 50 lakh from founder B Y Raghavendra, the chief minister's son and MP. Another son, B Y Vijayendra had donated Rs 10 lakh, he alleged.

Kumaraswamy charged that the chief minister and his family had favoured a developer and secured illegal gratification of more than Rs 14 crore, which included around Rs five crore to the trust in return for protection against legal action for encroachment of government tanks and 'nalas' (canals) and for gross violation of norms for their projects.

Yeddyurappa also misused his office to favour the mining company, which had the same management as JSW steel, he charged. As a result, JSW steel gained substantially, Kumaraswamy alleged.