In a major legal blow to former Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister K.S. Eshwarappa, the Karnataka High Court on Friday dismissed his petition seeking the quashing of a disproportionate assets (DA) case registered against him.
Senior advocate Ashok Haranahalli, representing Eshwarappa, argued the case and requested the court to grant protection from arrest by the Lokayukta police. Countering this, Lokayukta Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Venkatesh Arabatti assured the court that no coercive action would be taken against the veteran politician as long as he cooperated with the ongoing investigation. After hearing arguments from both sides, a single-judge bench headed by Justice M. Nagaprasanna rejected Eshwarappa’s plea to throw out the case.
The legal battle stems from a complaint filed by B. Vinod, a lawyer based in Shivamogga. Vinod had accused Eshwarappa, his son K.E. Kantesh, and daughter-in-law Shalini of accumulating wealth vastly disproportionate to their known sources of income, leading to a Lokayukta police probe.
Although the Lokayukta police had initially filed a 'B' report (closure report) clearing Eshwarappa, Vinod challenged this in court. The court subsequently ordered a re-investigation into the matter, prompting the Shivamogga Lokayukta police to register a fresh First Information Report (FIR). Eshwarappa had approached the High Court to challenge this new FIR, but with the court dismissing his petition, the senior leader now faces intensified legal scrutiny.
