Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy’s Plea to Quash Corruption Case Rejected by SC

Union Minister of Heavy Industries and Steel and former Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy did not receive relief from the Supreme Court in a corruption case related to a land de-notification during his tenure as CM.

Kumaraswamy, a leader of the JD(S), which is part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), had sought immunity under the 2018 amendment to the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. However, a Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Dipankar Dutta and Rajesh Bindal found no merit in his plea, allowing the trial to proceed.

The SC bench rejected Kumaraswamy’s argument that prosecution required sanction and ruled that the amendment could not be applied retrospectively.

The case pertains to the de-notification of 2 acres and 24 guntas of land in Halage Vaderahalli Village, Banashankari. This land was initially acquired by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) in 1997.

In 2007, while serving as Chief Minister, Kumaraswamy ordered the de-notification of the land despite objections from the BDA. The land was later sold to private parties for ₹4.14 crore in 2010.

Earlier, in 2015, the Karnataka High Court had dismissed Kumaraswamy’s plea to quash the FIR.

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