Plaint against B'lore Urban DC, Lokayukta SP

A fresh complaint was filed in the Special Lokayukta Court against Lokayukta Superintendent of Police (Bangalore Urban) P K Shivashankar and Bangalore Urban Deputy Commissioner M K Aiyappa.

The complainant R Srinivasmurthy has alleged that Shivashankar leaked information to Aiyappa about an attempt to lodge a complaint with the Lokayukta police against him.
Judge N K Sudhindra Rao has posted the case to October 1 for orders.

Two more people, a case worker in the DC’s office, Rajeshwari, and a petitioner in the revision petition, Gayathri, have also been named in the complaint as accused. In his complaint, Srinivasmurthy stated that he had appeared on behalf of his client in a revision petition filed before DC Aiyappa pertaining to the ownership of land measuring 1.24 acres.

Aiyappa proceeded to post the case for orders after receiving the vakalath and without providing any opportunity to file their objections or even to hear the case on merit. Further, Aiyappa failed to direct Gayathri, the opposite party, to serve a petition copy in the Court. 

All this was done, the complainant alleged, in a bid to favour Gayathri.
When Srinivasmurthy tried to obtain the petition copies, case worker Rajeshwari, on behalf of Aiyappa, asked Srinivasmurthy to pay a bribe of Rs three lakh per acre to get a favourable order.

This demand was recorded on the cellphone of the complainant.
Following this, they headed straight to the Lokayukta office and contacted Inspector Ravishankar, who told them that unless there was a specific demand from the second respondent on record for demanding illegal gratification, he could not  register the plaint.

Srinivasmurthy contended that he immediately went back to Aiyappa’s office to record the proof and was shocked to see Aiyappa waiting for the complainant. Srinivasmurthy alleged that Aiyappa confined him in his chamber and abused in filthy language and threatened with dire consequences in the event of the complainant approaching the Lokayukta.

The complainant alleged that this incident raised the suspicion that Shivashankar as head of the City Lokayukta police had not maintained secrecy.

 “The complainant apprehends that Shivashankar was solely responsible for giving information to Aiyappa with regard to the prospective complaint by Srinivasmurthy against Aiyappa and Rajeshwari on their unlawful demand, within a span of one hour,” the complaint alleged.

Further, Aiyappa claimed that he knew each and everyone at Lokayukta and this complainant could not do anything to him. Shivashankar is accused of violating Section 15 of the Karnataka Lokayukta Act where he is liable to maintain secrecy of information until such time the investigation is conducted.

Srinivasmurthy has also submitted a DVD of audio and video recordings of the demand for bribe by Rajeswari and also the conversation with Aiyappa. Both the officers are also alleged to have committed offences under Prevention of Corruption Act.