The list of Karnataka Ministers and politicians in  connection with the   land grab charges seems to be growing by the day with the Lokayukta Special Court Judge N K Sudhindra Rao asking the Police to submit a report by Nov 16 in connection with a case filed against Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani that he  had de-notified (freed from official control)  the government land on Bangalore outskirts for monetary gain.

Industrialist Alam Pasha has complained to Lokayukta alleging that Nirani has abused his office to get the 27 acres de-notified, and  in turn sold it at a huge rate and the industries minister benefited monetarily from this deal.

Nirani along with eight others, including his family members, "misused his position as Industries Minister" and floated a number of non-existent companies and de-notified Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board land in Devanahalli and Dobb's pet to them, causing over Rs 130 crore loss to the exchequer, the complaint alleged.

Costs of Land at in and around Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) at Devanahalli have skyrocketed  in recent years as also at Dobbspet   20 km from  BIAL.

Mr Sudhindra rao who functions as the Lokayukta special court judge  for speedy disposal of corruption cases may be heading towards a record in Karnataka on the number of politicians against whom he has ordered the probe.

The court order,  coming just six days ahead of Jan Chetna Yatra of senior BJP leader L.K. Advani to get people support against corruption, has come as a pain in neck  and embarrassment for  the ruling BJP in Karnataka.

There were  reports in a section of the press few days ago that efforts were on from certain section of the politicians to either 'promote' or 'transfer' the Lokayukta Special Court judge who has been taking such a 'bold' step of sending even the high and the mighty  politicians of both the ruling and opposition parties. Media has appreciated the actions of the judge for his courage and impartiality.

He has already sent behind bars, BJP's first chief minister in south India B.S. Yeddyurappa in corruption cases. With the Judge ordering a probe, Nirani joins Ashoka, Yeddyurappa and two former ministers, Katta Subramanaya Naidu and S.N. Krishnaiah Setty, facing land grab or illegal land deal charges.While Yeddyurappa, Katta Subramanya Naidu and Setty are in judicial custody, Naidu  has been allowed to go to Mumbai for treatment of cancer at Leelavathi Hospital.

On Home Minister R Ashok,  the Lokayukta court last week ordered a probe on a private complaint alleging illegal de-notification of government land.  

The Lokayukta probe against Nirani will  begin when the police register the FIR in a day or two.

Ex-BJP minister mining baron G. Janardhana Reddy has been  arrested by the CBI and  sent to Chanchagalaguda jail in
Hyderabad for alleged illegal mining in Andhra Pradesh.

Alam Pasha in his October 20 complaint prayed that the court take cognisance of the matter and order a thorough investigation.  Nirani had "misused" the forum of Global Investors' Meet held last year by the Karnataka Government for his "own personal advantage", he had alleged. He claimed that Nirani had "consolidated" land allotted to the said companies "run by men of his choice" and raised a loan of over Rs 500 crore without any authority.