Knew about Lokayukta scam in march: Anti-corruption activist SR Hiremath
Hiremath had appealed four months ago to the Lokayukta to rein in his son
Bengaluru: Well known anti corruption activist S.R. Hiremath, who is all set to file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in court to “save the Lokayukta institution,” had appealed four months ago to the Lokayukta to rein in his son, after senior IPS officers had alerted the activist to “the alleged involvement of the Lokayukta's son Ashwin Y. in an extortion racket.”
The founder of Samaj Parivartana Samudaya told Deccan Chronicle that he had met the Lokayukta Justice Bhaskar Rao in March this year to raise his concerns, as soon as he heard from several senior “trusted and upright IPS officers” about the corruption/extortion scam in the Lokayukta.”
The IPS officers complained to him about the racket in the Lokayukta office and the illegal nexus of Ashwin, Joint Commissioner (Public Relations) Syed Riyaz and others in a corruption scam.
“The officers were deeply concerned because they were unable to control it. Following their complaint I met Lokayukta in his office and told him to put a stop the racket before it came out in public so that the institution’s reputation was not damaged. I informed him that I had very specific information on the scam,” Mr. Hiremath said.
"Justice Rao told me that he and his wife had both disowned their son and that they had not even attended his wedding. I said those were family issues but this was a very serious matter involving the Lokayukta institution,” stated Mr. Hiremath.
The activist said that he had waited for the Lokayukta to act. But instead of taking action against the scamsters, the racket was exposed when the SP, Lokayukta Sonia Narang wrote to the Registrar in May based on a complaint by Mr. Krishnamurthy Executive Engineer, ZP of alleged extortion.