This is what Lokayukta Santosh Hegde replied to an SMS that threatened to 'deal with him', following the arrest of Katta Jagadish
This is what Lokayukta Santosh Hegde replied to an SMS that threatened to 'deal with him', following the arrest of Katta Jagadish
Lokayukta Justice N Santhosh Hegde, who has made life miserable for those whose are facing corruption charges (including the Chief Minister), is facing a life threat himself.
I don't care: The person messaged Lokayukta demanding explanation
on the basis of whichu00a0 Katta Jagadish was arrested"I know I have stirred the hornet's nest and the effect is very much expected. People have threatened me of dire consequences, but I don't care," Hegde said.
He received an SMS recently, following the arrest of Katta Jagadish Naidu, asking what the basis for his arrest was. He replied explaining the circumstantial evidence.
Then he received a message that said, "You are giving some loose talks against our leaders and we are warning, if you don't stop this, we will deal with you. We are not mild and timid like local Kannadigas, we are outsiders."
To that, Hegde replied, "You are welcome to do whatever you want."
Hegde had received an SMS warning him of dire consequences, after he trapped Katta Jagadish Naidu, councilor and son of IT minister Katta Subramanya Naidu, while he was offering bribe to silence a witness in a case against him. The minister resigned after the Lokayukta filed an FIR on corruption charges, last Thursday.
The father-son duo is framed in the KIADB (Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board) land scam that has rattled the state politics, while the Lokayukta has thrown gauntlet on Chief Minister B S Yeddurappa saying he wanted to probe on a complaint against him and his son over scams including irregularities in identification of land and nepotism in allotting the BDA (Bangalore Development Authority) sites.u00a0u00a0
The government had constituted an enquiry commission under a retired judge, while Lokayukta cried foul saying the commission could not probe the same issue that he already taken up. The High Court has still to decide on this, as a PIL regarding this is pending in the court.
Hegde seems unperturbed about the threat. "These things are bound to happen, when your job is troubling someone, who is obviously doing wrong. I have not approached the police because the threatening calls have stopped now," he said.
"We have not received any complaint so far," said Alok Kumar, joint commissioner of police (crime). "But, we are ready to give protection to Hegde, if he wants it."
| No arrests for now |
| >>Hegde clarified that Katta Subramanya Naidu's arrest was not necessary for now, while prosecution of the CM was not in question because the case is pending in the High Court.
>>"Arrest of an accused is necessary when there is a chance of him disturbing the investigation, or destroying the evidence or absconding. In case of Naidu, we don't see these possibilities and his arrest is not necessary as of now," he said.
>>"Let the court decide on who should probe the case. If it says we have to do it, then we will think what we can do.
>>Then again, the chief minister's arrest is not called for as the complaint registered with us against him is under the Lokayukta Act, which is not criminal in nature." |
