CM's letter helped 'tainted' cop become Lokayukta DIG

Arun Chakravarthy was indicted by the Lokayukta and disciplinary action against him is still pending.

Chakravarthy’s appointment to the Lokayukta had raised many an eyebrow, and not without reason. The officer has been indicted by the Lokayukta and disciplinary action against him is still pending.

File notings available with Deccan Herald show that the government, instead of initiating action against the officer, worked at lightning speed to ensure that he is posted to the Lokayukta following instructions from none other than Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda.

On November 10, Gowda wrote to the DPAR directing it to formalise the transfer process of three IPS officers – Jeevan Kumar V Gaonkar, who was ADGP Lokayukta as ADGP (Administration), Bangalore; H N Sathyanarayana Rao, who was ADGP, Crime and Technical Services, Bangalore, as ADGP, Lokayukta; and J Arun Chakravarthy who was DIGP, DCRE, Bangalore, as DIG, Lokayukta.

The same day, the DPAR wrote to the government with its views: “Arun Chakravarthy IPS who was proposed/ordered to be transferred to the post of DIG Lokayukta, has a Lokayukta complaint against him. The earlier Lokayukta has recommended action against Chakravarthy, and this file is still under the consideration of the government.”

On receipt of this observation, DPAR Principal Secretary Mohammed Sanaulla wrote back to his subordinates, saying: “I have brought this to the notice of the chief secretary and the principal secretary to the chief minister. Both of them have directed to issue transfer orders as ordered by the chief minister. Hence, it may be issued and file be resubmitted for perusal of the chief secretary.”

The department immediately formalised the transfer process and the file was re-submitted to the chief secretary for perusal on November 16.

Background

The Lokayukta had initiated inquiry into a case against Chakravarthy when he was SP, Shimoga in 2008. The complaint pertained to his inaction in registering a murder case, even after repeated pleas by the victim’s father.

The victim, Shubhada, had died under mysterious circumstances, and her father, after running from pillar to post, approached the Lokayukta. The then Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde ordered an inquiry into the case by retired DGP and Lokayukta Director, M D Singh.

Singh had recommended disciplinary action against all officers concerned from – the sub-inspector to the superintendent of police (Chakravarthy). In 2010, the Lokayukta had sent the proposal to the government to initiate disciplinary action Chakravarthy. However, the matter is still being ‘reviewed’ by the government.

Action ‘next month’

When asked about the delay in initiating disciplinary action, officials in DPAR said since the government had sought some clarifications in the matter, the file had been sent back to the Lokayukta, which in turn had returned it by filing its inputs. Officials said the government was still ‘taking a view’ of the reply of Lokayukta and that the action would be ‘initiated in a month’.