JOIN USGovindraju had filed a writ petition in the High Court, challenging the suspension by the Urban Development Department based on the recommendation by the Lokayukta.
The Additional Advocate General submitted to the Court that the government was not empowered by the Karnataka Municipal Corporation Act 1976 to suspend the councillor, but they had done so based on the report of the Lokayukta.
Justice Ashok B Hinchigeri told the state to withdraw the suspension order within six weeks as it suffered from lack of legislative competence.
Following this, the AAG submitted that the Lokayukta must be made a party to the petition as the suspension was based on the grounds provided by the Lokayukta report.
Senior counsel B V Acharya who was arguing for the petitioner countered this by stating that the Lokayukta police were employed under the state government and hence there was no need to make them a party to the petition.
The former corporator of Ganesh Mandir was caught by the Lokayukta police accepting a bribe of Rs 2 lakh from a builder in his ward on July 17 in return for regularising building violations.