Bangalore, July 21 (IANS) In a major setback to Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, the Karnataka High Court Thursday allowed police to question him and his kin on corruption charges and illegal land deal cases.


Justice K.N. Keshavanarayana cancelled the stay he had ordered on the trial court proceedings in the five cases filed against Yeddyurappa, his two sons, son-in-law and others.

The court ruling spells further trouble for Yeddyurappa, who is abroad at present, with the Lokayukta also naming him as amongst those involved in illegal mining in the state.

The judge had granted the stay in March on a petition by Yeddyurappa's son-in-law R. Sohan Kumar challenging the trial court ordering police to probe five complaints against the chief minister, his kin and others.

The five complaints were filed in January by two Bangalore advocates Sirajin Bhasha and K.N. Balaraj after Governor H.R. Bhardwaj granted them permission to file criminal cases against Yeddyurappa and others on charges of corruption and illegal land deals.

Besides Yeddyurappa, the advocates have named his two sons, B.Y. Raghavendra and B.Y. Vijayendra, son-in-law Sohan Kumar and several others in their complaints.

Raghavendra is a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha member.