Bengaluru: Three days after the High Court observed that the state government has to “first solve the problems here and then hold an investors’ meet”, it again orally observed, “With high levels of corruption, how can such a meet be successful?”
The court was hearing the plea of Dr V.L. Nandish, a professor at Mandya Medical College, seeking to quash the proceedings against him by the Lokayukta on the grounds of delay in probing the case against him.
“In every department, the joint secretaries are not in their seats, but it seems they are functioning by ‘sitting on the files’. With no concern for the public, these departments are sleeping,” said Justice A.N. Venugopala Gowda.
The court asked the government to set up additional courts to try over 100 pending cases against corrupt officials.
The court also sought a report on the vacancies in the Lokayukta and pending cases, including those waiting sanction for prosecution.
It also asked the government to come out with a handbook on the lines of CBI handbook at the next date of hearing.
Notices on plea from Katta’s wife
The High Court on Monday ordered notices to the respondents following an appeal filed by former minister Katta Subramanya Naidu’s wife K. Sowbhagya. She has appealed against a single-judge order dismissing her plea questioning the constitutional validity of a few sections of the Prevention of Money-Laundering (Amendment) Act, 2012.
The court had also dismissed other pleas seeking to quash the letter dated September 25, 2012 issued by the Directorate of Enforcement which had seized 141 documents related to assets of Katta Subramanya Naidu’s family and Itasca Software Development.
