Fri Nov 08 17:27:03 UTC 2024: ## Former Karnataka CM Yediyurappa and Health Minister Sriramulu Face Prosecution Over COVID-19 PPE Kit Procurement
**Bengaluru, November 8, 2024:** A commission investigating irregularities in Karnataka’s COVID-19 management has recommended the prosecution of former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and former Health Minister B. Sriramulu for alleged corruption in the purchase of PPE kits.
The Justice John Michael D’Cunha Commission, in its interim report, has accused the two leaders of procuring 3 lakh PPE kits from two Chinese companies in April 2020 at exorbitant prices, bypassing standard procurement procedures. The commission alleges that the purchase was made “purely on the directions of the CM and the Health Minister” without any tenders or exemption from the state’s transparency act.
The report highlights that PPE kits were readily available in the domestic market at significantly lower prices. Despite this, the commission finds that the purchase from Chinese firms was “manipulated to grant the contract to the select and favoured supplier” of the CM and the Health Minister.
The commission recommends prosecution under the Prevention of Corruption Act for both Yediyurappa and Sriramulu, accusing them of “obtaining undue advantage for themselves and/or the supplier by abusing their position as public servants and/or by using their personal influence.”
The Cabinet subcommittee is currently reviewing the report.
The revelations come as a major blow to the former Karnataka government, as the report exposes alleged corruption during a crucial period of the pandemic.
First Piper 