Bangalore: Social activist T.J. AbraÂham on Wednesday criticised the state government and Lokayukta for the delay in taking action agaiÂnst 94 public servants accused under Prevention of Corruption Act.
Addressing media persons here on Wednesday, he said that delay in granting sanction for prosecution of public servants is nothing but delaying tactics by the state government.
And the Lokayukta, by citing abseÂnce of sanction for prosecuting the official, was also safeguarding the accused officials, he said.
He added that if both state government and LokÂaÂyÂukta did not act over the matter, it would lead to series of protests. Citing a Supreme Court judgment in respect to sanction for prosecution against public servants, Abraham said, “Governments and sanctioning authorities are under an obligation to de-Âcide upon requests within a time frame of three moÂnths from the date of receÂipt of any request.
The sanÂction cannot by any stretch of imaginÂatiÂon go beyond a period of four months. FailÂing which, it may amÂount to contempt of the SC and at the same time the prosecution can proceed with the ‘Deemed Sanction’ specifically granted in the case of Subramanian SwÂamy versus Dr Manmohan Singh.
He has also addreÂssed a letter to the LokaÂyukta aloÂng with the SC verdict on ‘Deemed SanÂction’ along with a list of 94 public servants in which prosecution sanction ordeÂrs are awaited from the competent authorities.
However, Lokayukta Y. Bhaskar Rao has said that the verdict which the actiÂvist has highlighted has to be understood properly.
The conclusion of the verdict had stated certain guidelines, “The ParliaÂment should ‘consider’ the ConstiÂtutiÂonal imperative of ArtiÂcle 14 enshrining the rule of law, wherein ‘due process of law’ has been read into by introducing a time limit in Section 19 of the P.C. Act 1988 for its working in a reasonable manner. The Parliament ‘may,’ in my opinion, consider the following guidelines.”
