Key functionaries skip work at Karnataka Lokayukta office

Bengaluru: It’s a dismal picture at the Lokayukta with the key functionaries in the premier anti-corruption agency not available for various reasons. While Lokayukta Justice Y. Bhaskar Rao remains incommunicado (the visitors’ lounge continues to remain empty), Upkalokayukta-1 Justice S.B. Majage retired last weekend, Registrar H.R. Deshpande suddenly put down his papers on health grounds and Joint Commissioner, Public Relations, Lokayukta Syed Riyazathullah, who is allegedly in the centre of the corruption scandal, has extended his leave indefinitely on health grounds. Mr Riyaz was to resume office from Monday.

Upalokayukta-2 Justice Subhash Adi and Additional Registrar (Enquiry-2) M.S. Balakrishna are holding fort with the former trying to clear his image of the charges leveled against him by Justice Majage, of shielding Dr Sheela Patil, medical officer in Hubbali. Mr Balakrishna suddenly left to manage the Registrar’s office and fielded questions from the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on the alleged corruption scandal in the Lokayukta along with Deputy Registrar, Administration, T. Gopalkrishna Rai.

Unlike the former Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde and his Upalokayukta Justice Patri Basanna Goud, who had made public their official mobile numbers and would receive and attend calls from distressed people even in the middle of the night, Justice Rao remains unavailable to people.

Riyaz denies any knowledge of scandal

Joint Commissioner, Public Relations, Lokayukta, Syed Riyazathullah, who has extended his leave indefinitely on medical grounds, has reportedly denied all charges against him in the alleged corruption scandal to the Special Investigation Team, which is probing the racket allegedly involving Lokayukta Justice Bhaskar Rao’s son Ashwin Y.  

According to reliable sources, Mr Riyaz, who is reportedly suffering from a kidney ailment and has been admitted to a private hospital in Bengaluru, has denied knowledge of the corruption racket in the Lokayukta. “He knows Ashwin, but has denied any information about the scandal,” said the source.

I only forwarded Dr Patil’s report to govt: Adi

Following allegations by retired Upalokayukta Justice S.B. Majage that Justice Subhash B. Adi encroached into his jurisdiction and dropped charges against Dr Shaila Patil, Justice Adi on Monday clarified that he forwarded the report submitted by the inquiry officer to the government.

Justice Adi said, “The allegations have hurt me a lot. Though there was an internal inquiry, Justice Majage has made allegations against me on the day of his retirement. Why did he not speak up when he was still in service? I had not even assumed charge as the Upalokayukta when the complaint was made. The inquiry officer submitted a report mentioning that charges against Dr Patil were not proved, in January last year. The file was received by Kempajamma, a staffer at Justice Majage’s office. She gave the file to Gowramma in my office, saying the matter is under my jurisdiction. I forwarded it to the government, which issued an order to drop charges against Dr Patil. Later, Justice Majage found that a wrong report was sent to government and an administrative inquiry was ordered.”

On Justice Majage’s demand for a high-level inquiry into encroachment of jurisdiction, specifically Bengaluru Urban District, Justice Adi said that he has powers under the Karnataka Lokayukta Act.

He, however, refused to comment on Congress MLC V.S. Ugrappa's demand for his resignation. “I am not a politician to make statements,” he said.

PIL hearing on Monday

The High Court on Monday adjourned the hearing on a PIL filed by Samaj Parivartana Samaj seeking a CBI probe into the complaint of corruption in the Lokayukta. The state submitted that there is another petition challenging the FIR against Ashwin Y., Justice Rao’s son, and the matter will come for hearing on Tuesday. The bench then said that the two cases should be clubbed together and adjourned the matter.