Bengaluru, 24 Sept

The complainants, who were granted sanction by the Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot after they sought an order for probe from the special court against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday hailed High Court's verdict dismissing his petition challenging the approval.

The Governor on 16 August accorded sanction under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for the commission of the alleged offences as mentioned in the petitions submitted to him by the three complainants -- Abraham TJ, Snehamayi Krishna and Pradeep Kumar SP.

“We had petitioned in the High Court seeking the dismissal of Siddaramaiah's plea. Whatever objections we had filed, the order has come accordingly, which is a matter of pleasure for us,” Abraham told reporters soon after a single judge bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna dismissed Siddaramaiah’s petition.

When told that the Chief Minister may challenge the order in the division bench, Abraham said: “Let him challenge in the division bench. He will use his legal rights. Since he is moving the (High Court's) division bench, we are filing a caveat there.”

Krishna claimed that there was "unshakable" documentary evidence available against the Chief Minister. “He will lose whichever court he goes to." -PTI