Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde on Wednesday recommended that the Lokayukta, like the Central Bureau of Investigation, be permitted to hold preliminary enquiry into corruption charges against government officers.
“Preliminary enquiry would be necessary in enquiring into allegations of serious misconduct, which may not call for immediate registration of a case. If there’s enough prima facie material against the officer we can go ahead and register the case,” said the Lokayukta.
In a formal meeting with the three advisors to the Governor, the Chief Secretary, Principal Secretaries Finance, Home and PWD, Additional Chief Secretary and the Law Secretary at the Vidhana Soudha, Justice Hegde discussed key issues pertaining to the functioning of the Lokayukta institution.
He was accompanied by Upa Lokayukta Justice Parti Basanna Goud, Additional Director General, Lokayukta police Rupak Kumar Dutta, Registrar L Subramanya and Chief Law Officer, Moosa Kunhi.
“We had sent the advisors the agenda of the meeting. We discussed nine issues with them. We recommended that Rule 10 of the Karnataka Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1957 be amended again. It mandates only officers held under trap cases be placed under suspension where there’s prima facie evidence of corruption and not those who are raided under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The advisers were convinced that the Rules needed to be amended again. We also convinced them that in case, the prima facie material is insufficient, we can furnish them with more evidence,” said the Lokayukta.
Recommendations
Among the other recommendations made were; amendment to Rule 9A of the Karnataka Police Disciplinary Rules to permit the Lokayukta to institute an enquiry against corrupt police officers. “As of now, they have a departmental enquiry into corruption charges but the punishment rendered is inappropriate to the charges. I told the advisers that a corrupt officer should have no place in the government and asked them to give us the right to enquire into corruption charges against police officers also,” said Justice Hegde.
The Lokayukta apprised the advisors the difficulty he faces with the government with regard to filing an appeal against the acquittal of corrupt officers. “Before taking a final decision on a corrupt officer, the government should consult us. Not taking appropriate action against the corrupt officers sends a wrong signal to others,” he added.