Illegal mining: Final report next month

Talking to reporters here, Justice Hegde said he had two tasks to finish before he quits his office this year.

Firstly, to complete the report on illegal mining and transportation of iron ore, the people responsible for the irregularities and the loss incurred to the state due to these factors.

Secondly, there are few complaints on irregularities in Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board.

A preliminary investigation was complete and criminal cases have been booked. However, the High Court  has stayed further proceedings.  The Lokayukta office has appealed against the stay and next hearing is scheduled on Feb 7. Law will take its legal course once the stay is vacated.

“I wish to complete the probe before the end of my tenure”, he said. Justice Hegde said his office has temporarily stopped the investigation into the denotification scam as the issue has now become subjudice.

“My office refused to transfer the case to the any other institution when the Government has constituted the Justice Padmaraja Commission of Inquiry. However, we had stop the probe when the matter became subjudice under HC,” the Lokayukta said.

Inquiry

He disclosed that Lokayukta police was conducting a preliminary inquiry into the complaint against Janata Dal (Secular) MP and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy.
“We will file a criminal case and the inquiry will pass to the Lokayukta if the police finds truth in the complaint,” he told the media.

To a query, he said the state government has cooperated to fulfil few demands of his office like hike in pay scale for the police personnel attached to Lokayukta and providing additional staff. But, the demand for suo motto powers to raid politicians and bureaucrats is still denied, he said.

Citing the rising against the Government in Egypt, Hegde warned that the reason for the unrest was due to corruption.

People are becoming intolerant for the corruption, he said adding that last year the country witnessed unprecedent number of scams and corruption.