The High Court of Karnataka has quashed a criminal case registered against Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct during the campaign for the byelection to Gokak assembly constituency in November last year.
Justice Suraj Govindaraj passed the order on Friday while allowing a petition filed by Mr. Yediyurappa questioning the June 20 order passed by the Principal JMFC, Gokak, taking cognizance of the offence by rejecting the B-report submitted by the police.
The court found that the complaint itself ex-facie did not make out an offence and hence, there was no prima facie material to take cognizance of offence. It also observed that the magistrate court had rejected the police B-report without issuing notice to the complainant. It was alleged that Mr. Yediyurappa, while campaigning for BJP candidate Ramesh Jarkiholi, had influenced the voters of the Veerashaiava Lingayat community.
