Bengaluru: Justice Nangli Krishnarao Sudhindrarao, one of the most feared and respected judges who packed off several politicians to jail during his tenure as the Lokayukta court judge, has been transferred. The judge will be remembered the most for sending former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa to jail.
Justice Sudhindrarao served as the Special Court judge trying cases registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act or more commonly known as Lokayukta Judge for almost three years. He has now been transferred as Principal District and Sessions Judge, Tumkur. He is being replaced by Justice V.G. Bopaiah, who is serving as Principal District and Sessions Judge in Hassan.
Both the judges have been directed to get themselves relieved from their present charge and proceed to take charge of their new posts on May 31. Justice Sudhindrarao took charge as the Lokayukta Court Judge in May 2011.
He is among the 51 judges who have been transferred in the cadre of District Judges. Forty-seven judges in the cadre of Senior Civil Judges and 43 Civil Judges were also transferred by the Karnataka High Court on Saturday.
Within a year of taking charge as the Lokayukta Special Court judge, Justice Sudhindrarao delivered a landmark judgement convicting Yeddyurappa. Sampangi, a sitting BJP MLA. It was the first order in the state’s judiciary under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Mr Sampangi was sent to rigorous imprisonment for a maximum of three and a half years. Corporator L. Govindaraju was also convicted under the PC Act during his tenure.
The judge found guilty BJP corporator Katta Jagadish, his father and former minister Katta Subramanya Naidu and former minister Ess Enn Krishnaiah Setty under various corruption charges. The final shocker was when he sent former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa to jail.
He also ordered an investigation against three former chief ministers – S.M. Krishna, N. Dharam Singh and H.D. Kumaraswamy, following a private complaint in an alleged illegal mining scam.
Among several other politicians, former minister Ashok, C.T. Ravi and V. Somanna are facing trial in the Lokayukta Court. The judge was criticised for his style of functioning by the High Court and Supreme Court in a couple of cases, but by and large, he will be remembered for his action against corrupt politicians and officials, who feared the thunder of his gavel in the court.
