Karnataka Cabinet Urges Governor to Act on 4 Prosecution Requests

Bengaluru: The Council of Ministers on Thursday decided to advice Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot under Section 163 of the Constitution to act on the cases waiting for his nod to grant sanction for prosecution sought by sleuths of Karnataka Lokayukta against State Janata Dal Secular (JDS) president and Union Minister of Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy and former ministers-Gali Janardhan Reddy, Murugesh Nirani and Sashikala Jolle under Prevention of Corruption Act.

Briefing reporters after a cabinet meeting in Bengaluru, Minister of Law and Parliamentary Affairs H.K. Patil said “Aid and advice to the Governor will be sent to immediately act upon the pending requests with him for grant of sanction for prosecution.”

Patil said the Cabinet was satisfied that prosecution requests against Kumaraswamy, Janardhan Redy, Sashikala Jolle and Murugesh Nirani fell under the provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act.

He clarified “It was not a ruling over Governor’s sanction for prosecution (Chief Minister) but advice to him under Section 163 of the Constitution.”

To a query, Patil said the prosecution sanctioned against Chief Minister by Governor in connection with irregularities to allotment of plots to his wife Parvathi by Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) in Mysuru city was different from the prosecution requests of Kumaraswamy, Janardhan Reddy, Sashikala Jolle and Murugesh Nirani.

He explained investigative agencies (Lokayukta) completed their investigations against Kumaraswamy, Janaradhan Rddy, Sashikala Jolle and Murugesh Nirani whereas in Siddaramaiah's case, Governor acted on private complaints and no investigations were conducted against the Chief Minister.

“We started the investigation (Judicial Commission) against complaints into MUDA plot distribution irregularities,” Patil replied to a query and ruled out vengeance politics of the State Government against opposition leaders since advice to the Governor by the Council of Ministers came after Governor gave his nod for sanction to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Continuing, he said, “We have acted as soon as pending cases came to the notice” and stated “We have formed several Commission to investigate several matters.”