HUBBALLI: Samaj Parivartana Samudaya (SPS) founder President S.R. Hiremath has alleged that Upalokayukta S.B. Majage was being used by Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Y Bhaskar Rao to protect his son Ashwin Rao.
Addressing press persons here on Friday, Hiremath said there is an urgent need to save the anti-corruption institution. He also expressed concern that the people will lose confidence in institution owing to differences between Upalokayuktas Justice S.B. Majage and Justice Subhash Adi over the jurisdictional issue on ordering for inquiry into the corruption within Lokayukta.
Hiremath said that when the Lokayukta himself was facing charges, truckloads of files from the office of the Lokayukta were being shifted to his residence in full glare of the media. He also said that Committee on Judicial Accountability (CJA) and Jan Sangram Parishat (JSP) and other organisations will exert pressure on Additional Director General of Police Prem Shankar Meena to initiate prompt and effective steps to stop possible destruction of evidence by the Lokayukta to save his son.
Welcoming the order by High Court bench, headed by Justice N Kumar, on declining to stay the FIR against Ashwin Rao, he said that they had reservations against the earlier order of a division bench of High Court which stayed inquiry within the Lokayukta.
“We have already submitted a 99-page letter with documents to President of India, Chief Justice of India and Chief Justice of Karnataka on the issue. Karnataka Lokayukta Act should be amended to ensure impartial and effective functioning of the anti-corruption body. Government has not taken any step towards this direction though Justice Santosh Hegde had written to it about several amendments to be made,” Hiremath said.
