Bhaskar Rao says he had no idea of son's activities

Lokayukta Justice Y Bhaskar Rao never grew suspicious about the activities of his son Yerabati Ashwin and Joint Commissioner (PRO) Syed Riyaz, who have been arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) for corruption and extortion in the Lokayukta institution.

In his statement to the SIT, Justice Rao has stated that he had no knowledge about the corruption and extortion using Lokayukta office and his official residence. In the six-page-statement, Justice Rao has refuted the statement of former BBMP Commissioner M Lakshminarayana, who had stated that he had told Lokayukta about his son calling officials, both to the office and the official residence.

Social activist S R Hiremath also said that he had told Justice Rao about Ashwin’s activities. “The information about Ashwin calling officers to my residence was not brought to my notice either by S R Hiremath or Lakshminarayana, former BBMP commissioner. My wife may have knowledge about the visit of Ashwin to our residence during our absence. But, she was not aware about any other activities there. However, she did not bring it to my notice,” Justice Rao has stated.

Justice Rao has also refused to have spoken to Ashwin using the mobile phone of certain Pramod, an office staff at Riyaz’s chamber. However, he has stated that he was aware about Ashwin’s arrest in a case in Hyderabad in 2008. Justice Rao stated he had advised his son not to indulge in such activities.