'Lax' Lokayukta appoints his SP, then relieves him

Ombudsman Justice Shivraj Patil feigns cabout the official's involvement in the mining scam as he claims to have not read his predecessor's controversial report in which 700 officials were indicted

Ombudsman Justice Shivraj Patil feigns ignorance about the official's involvement in the mining scam as he claims to have not read his predecessor's controversial report in which 700 officials were indicted

It's been about a month since Justice Shivraj Patil took over as the new Lokayukta, but he is yet to spare some time to go through the crucial and controversial Mining Report prepared by his predecessor Santosh Hegde.
Patil made this confession last week during the appointment of Lokayukta S P Eshwarachandra Vidyasagar, who was relieved of his duties following media reports, which said he was indicted in the report.


In limbo? A sources claimed that Lokayukta Justice Shivraj Patil

Vidyasagar is the only Lokyukta official who has got entangled in the murky mining scam, while Justice Hedge has indicted over 700 other officials in the final report. According to the report, Vidyasagar was indicted for accepting a bribe of Rs 6.87 lakh from the alleged kingpin of illegal mining mafia in Bellary, Kharadapudi Mahesh.
Asked about the lapse, Patil passed the buck to the government.


Deliberately delaying scrutiny into matter of 700 corrupt officials
indicted in predecessor Santosh Hegde's illegal mining report. File pic

"A part of the report, in which this particular officer's name featured has been lying in sealed boxes with the government. When we appointed Vidyasagar, I hadn't gone through the report. For now, we cannot do anything about the officers who have been nailed in the report. The government committee will have to look into the matter, he said.

The government formed a four-member committee headed by Additional Chief Secretary K Jairaj. It comprises of Additional Chief Secretaries Subheer Hari Singh, Shamim Banu and Meera Saxena. The panel, which was appointed on August 18, has not met even once to preside over the report.

A source close to the committee members claimed that the panel was deliberately going slow on the issue of indicted officers allegedly because most of the accused were close to former CM B S Yeddyurappa.

'No comments'
When contacted, members of the committee refused to comment on the issue, before the panel meeting takes place. Justice Patil, however, has high hopes from the imminent meeting of the panel. "I am sure the committee will deliver a good report to the government. For now, the government will have to decide on the officers
indicted. We do not come into the picture here," said Patil.