Date:15/09/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/09/15/stories/2006091524480400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Janardhan Reddy releases another CD

Special Correspondent

Copies sent to newspaper offices with an unsigned document

Bangalore: The suspended BJP MLC G. Janardhan Reddy on Thursday released one more compact disc in support of his bribery allegation against Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Minister for Forests C. Chennigappa.

On Wednesday, the CD was sent to newspaper offices, including The Hindu , accompanied by an unsigned two-page document. One of them is purported to be the transcript of the recording on the CD released on Thursday and the other contains what had been stated by Mr. Chennigappa at a press conference on a date that has not been mentioned.

The quality of the visual in the CD released on Thursday was bad as the one distributed on Wednesday. However, the quality of the audio was better.

Going by the transcript of the CD, a voice resembling that of Mr. Chennigappa states that whereas he had received only Rs. 3.5 crore, Mr. Kumaraswamy had got away with several crores although it was he (Mr. Chennigappa) who had visited Bellary. Mr. Chennigappa is heard abusing Mr. Kumaraswamy. However, he acknowledges that he owes his rise in politics to the former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and his family.

Mr. Chennigappa is heard saying that Mr. Kumaraswamy had acquired 750 acres of land by "shaving the heads" of people like him. It is not explicit what type of land it was. The CD does not show the person with whom the Minister is alleged to be conversing. The length of the conversation is about three minutes. Mr. Reddy has released the two CDs days after the Justice U.L. Bhat Commission of Inquiry invited affidavits on illegal mining activity in the State since 2000.