The Karnataka high court on Friday ordered an interim stay on investigations against BJP state president, BS Yeddyurappa, in connection with an audio clip released earlier this month.

Yeddyurappa, a former chief minister, was purportedly recorded trying to entice a Janata Dal (Secular) MLA’s son at a government guest house in Devdurga in Raichur on February 8. Chief minister HD Kumaraswamy released the clip claiming it was proof of the BJP’s attempts to topple the JD(S)-Congress government in the state.

An FIR was lodged on February 13 based on a complaint by JD(S) MLA Nagangouda Kandkur’s son Sharanagouda that Yeddyurappa allegedly offered him ₹10 crore to get his father to resign from the assembly. On Friday, justice PGM Patil of the Kalaburagi bench of the high court ordered the interim stay on a petition by Yeddyurappa challenging the FIR. Yeddyurappa’s lawyer Sanjay Kulkarni said no further development could take place in the case. “We had sought quashing of the FIR against Yeddyurappa. In the interim prayer, we sought a stay on any proceedings based on the FIR. This was granted by the judge,” he said.

Kulkarni said Yeddyurappa had sought quashing of the FIR as Kumaraswamy had admitted in public that he asked Sharanagouda to attend the meeting and record it, a claim the chief minister has denied previously. Additionally, Kulkarni said, sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act had been invoked incorrectly. “Even if we are to assume that Yeddyurappa offered to pay Rs 10 crore to Sharangouda, in the clip it is said to be towards election expenses. This cannot be considered a bribe, and even on this ground we have sought
for the FIR to be quashed,” he said

The audio clip had stirred much controversy and ensured that the state budget was passed without any opposition, as the BJP was caught off guard by the release of the clip. During the budget session, it was claimed that Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar was paid a bribe of ₹50 crore to make him accept resignations of MLAs. Yeddyurappa had initially dismissed the clip as “mimicry”, but he later admitted in the assembly that he had spoken to Sharanagouda. The state government had decided to form a special investigation team, which the BJP had opposed. However, till Friday, no SIT had been named to probe the matter. State home minister MB Patil could not be contacted despite attempts.

First Published: Feb 22, 2019 23:19 IST