Arrest Gowda, sons, demand BJP leaders

Addressing a press conference, Puttaswamy said the alleged threat calls by the former prime minister and Balakrishne Gowda to Lokayukta officers - the then ADGP Jeevan Kumar Gaonkar and SP Shivashankar - amounted to “threat to judiciary” and “interference with justice”.

The Lokayukta Special Court had ordered a probe by the Lokayukta on a private complaint against Balakrishne Gowda. The complainant has alleged Balakrishne Gowda, as a KAS officer, had amassed wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income.

He said the Lokayukta Court should take suo motu cognisance of the threats for allegedly preventing officials from discharging their duties.

Puttaswamy said he was also contemplating to approach the Lokayukta court in this regard. “If they had any problems with the manner in which the investigation was being conducted, the Lokayukta court could have been petitioned. Instead, they call the officers and threaten them with dire consequences. The police should immediately file criminal cases against them and seek their judicial custody.”

Excise Minister M P Renukacharya questioned the rationale behind the recent meeting between Gowda’s other son, H D Kumaraswamy with CID DGP Shankar Bidari in connection with the FIR filed on the alleged financial irregularities in award of contract in Upper Krishna project between 1995-98 when Deve Gowda was the chief minister.

Renukacharya also hit out at former Lokayukya Santosh Hegde for his silence over the alleged threats by the Gowdas. He said he would write to Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar seeking action against Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy, both MPs, for threatening  police officials.