Karnataka government's nod not required for CBI to probe cash for vote scam
Jayachandra said the RO of the RS polls had to furnish all documents submitted to him by the political party to the investigative agency.
Bengaluru: The state government's permission is not required for the CBI to initiate a probe into the Cash for vote scam witnessed prior to elections to the Rajya Sabha in which eight Janata Dal (Secular) legislators cross voted for the Congress candidate K.C. Ramamurthy.
Based on the complaints by state JD(S) spokesman Ramesh Babu, the Election Commission had directed Mr S. Murthy, secretary, Legislative Assembly and returning officer of the RS polls to file a case against JD(S) MLA Mallikarjun Khuba and others, and recommended a CBI probe into the electoral malpractices. Doubts have arisen whether the CBI can take up the probe without the approval of the state government.
Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T.B. Jayachandra told Deccan Chronicle that the state government's permission was not required since the ECI has recommended a CBI probe. Now the Returning officer and the ECI have to decide on this, the state has no role, he said.
He clarified that some political parties (read JDS) had petitioned the ECI regarding poll malpractices based on which the ECI had recommended the CBI probe. The government's permission is required only if there is a direction from the court or the Union government. Since the ECI is a constitutionally created body, the state government does not come into the picture at all, he said.
Mr Jayachandra also said the RO of the Rajya Sabha polls had to furnish all documents submitted to him by the political party to the investigative agency. Already, the RO had filed a First Information Report (FIR) against JD(S) MLA Mallikarjun Khuba and others with the Vidhana Soudha Police Station and it was upto the cops to conduct a preliminary investigation.
Meanwhile, Mr Ramesh Babu said that the party would also submit a petition to the ECI to probe Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's role wherein he had allegedly promised special funds for the development of eight JD(S) legislators’ constituencies. "The CM is solely responsible for eight JD(S) legislators engaging in cross-voting," he said.
It may be mentioned here that a sting operation by two private English news channel had reportedly exposed a few legislators demanding money to vote for the Congress candidates during the RS polls. Expressing shock over the Cash for vote scam, the ECI had recommended a CBI probe into the episode.