Decade-old cases await clearance by Karnataka Lokayukta

Symptomatic of the lethargy exercised by the government and anti-graft agencies from initiating action against the corrupt, data has shown that as many as 13,770 cases are pending with the Lokayukta.

Some of the cases were filed more than a decade ago and are yet to be cleared by the agency. Of the said cases, 2,370 are departmental enquiries recommended against various officials over graft charges.

Disposal of cases were delayed as department officials and witnesses in several cases were absent during investigation and trial in
courts.

According to data tabled in the Legislative Council, as many as 7,500 cases filed by Lokayukta following complaints by the government or received by the agency under the provisions of Lokayukta Act, and 3,900 miscellaneous complaints filed with the anti-corruption agency are still under investigation.

These details were tabled in a reply by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to a question raised by Congress MLC Manjunath Bhandary.

Nodal officer

The response also noted that key witnesses of corruption cases and department officials remained absent during investigation of the cases.

“In order to ensure the witnesses are present on time during investigation, the government has issued an official reminder to appoint nodal officers (in all departments)” the reply read. The reminder was issued on November 9, 2020.

It can be noted that another anti-graft agency, the Anti-Corruption Bureau has also recorded a large number of pending cases, some of which have remained undisposed for more than five years.

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