Top cop orders stations to register complaints under anti-graft act

The DG&IGP on Wednesday issued a standing order to all the 965 police stations in the state to accept complaints under the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act.

The Karnataka High Court had rapped the state government on Tuesday for creating the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) without establishing police stations. 

 Addressing a press conference, DG&IGP Om Prakash said: “As per law, a citizen can approach any police station with a complaint. Police stations have concurrent powers of investigation. Since ACB police station is yet to be established, station house officers across the state have been directed to receive complaints under Prevention of Corruption Act.”

Even before the ACB started functioning, the police department has written to the government suggesting a few changes in the notification creating the ACB.

The modifications suggested by the police are: To remove the clause of prior permission of competent authority before registering an FIR; to change the administration control of the ACB police station from Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) to Home Department through DG&IGP and to remove the clause of reviewing power of cases probed by ACB from Advisory Board headed by the chief secretary and entrust reviewing powers to DG&IGP.

“As per Section 3 of the Karnataka Police Act, there shall be one police force, including the State Reserve Police Force, for the whole of the state. Hence, even the ACB should come under the DG&IGP. Earlier, the Lokayukta Police were under the administrative control of the Lokayukta. The modifications suggested by us are under active consideration,” said Om Prakash.

The government order which paved the way for an ACB had stated that it was done based on a proposal by Om Prakash on February 3, 2016. Om Prakash said his letter was based on various court orders from 1998 to 2016 and informal discussions over confusions prevailing over the functioning of the Lokayukta Police.