Rejecting the ‘B’ report submitted by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in 2018 stating that allegation of amassing assets disproportionate to known sources of income could not be established against Housing Minister V. Somanna, a special court in Bengaluru has ordered issue of summons to him while holding that there are sufficient grounds to proceed against him in the corruption case.
“The Investigation Officer (IO) has not properly conducted the investigation and not submitted the report in accordance with law by taking into consideration the formula to calculate the disproportionate assets. It is for the accused to explain as to how he has acquired the assets after he became councillor, MLA, MLC, and Minister,” the court said.
B. Jayantha Kumar, judge of the special court exclusively to deal with criminal cases related to MPs/MLAs in the State of Karnataka, passed the order on March 21 on a private complaint lodged way back in 2013.
