Daijiworld Media Network – Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Sep 19: There are rumours that Karnataka Lokayukta, Justice Shivaraj V Patil, who is mired in a controversy over illegal acquisition of a housing site, will decide about his next move, either to resign or clarify his stand, today. The Lokaykta is expected to address a press conference today on the issue.

In 1994, Justice Patil had acquired a housing site measuring 9,600 sft from the housing society of judicial department employees. After two years thereafter, he bought another housing site from Vyalikaval Housing Society measuring 4,012 sft in the name of his wife.  A family can acquire only one site in the city through a housing society, and hence the second acquisition is being treated as illegal. A report tabled by a house committee headed by A T Ramaswamy in 2007 contains mention about above illegal acquisition, along with several others. The report had also mentioned that the by laws of the housing society, BDA rules, and Karnataka Land Reforms Act, were violated while creating the said extension. The house committee had recommended for confiscation of the land, as agricultural land was acquired through sale agreements instead of sale deeds in the case of this extension. The extension does not contain 404 CA sites, and as per Supreme Court order, such sites, even if houses have been built there, can be taken back, the report had mentioned.  The committee also pointed out that even non-employees of judiciary were given sites in the extension.

So far, no actions have been taken on the lines recommended by the said committee. At a time when emerging opinion in general is that the conduct of the Lokayuktas should be beyond any reasonable doubt, the above violations which have emerged now, have created problems for the new Karnataka Lokayukta.