Daijiworld Media Network—Mangalore (NM/CN)
 
Mangalore, Nov 12: Senior Congress leader and former union finance minister Janardhan Poojary condemned the state government for its apathy towards the corruption going on in the state, in a press meet held on Friday November 11.
 
He accused chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda of transferring DIG Pranab Mohanty from the Lokayukta police to weaken the investigation wing, thereby helping the former chief minister B S Yedyurappa. Poojary blamed Yeddyurappa and his influence in transferring Mohanty, an upright officer.
 
“The state government on Thursday November 11 transferred Jeevan Kumar Gaonkar from the post of Additional General Officer, Lokayukta, to ADGP (administration) Bangalore police. The move comes within 48 hours of former chief minister Yeddyurappa’s release from judicial custody,” he stated.
 
Poojary challenged the present chief minister asking for the exact reason for transferring. Gaonkar in his short tenure in the Lokayukta and had made a serious bid to get the police wing running even as the post of Lokayukta was vacant after the resignation of Justice Shivaraj Patil. He said that the raids on Yeddyurappa’s sons and son-in-law took place under his supervision.
 
“H N Sathyanarayana Rao has been appointed ADGP, Lokayukta, replacing Gaonkar. Thus, the entire judicial board is run according to the present government. Thus, a lot of the actual truth is suppressed,” he grieved. He accused Sri Ravi Shankar of backing the Sangh Parivar and favoring the Reddy brothers. Congress leaders Kallige Taranath Shetty, Mithun Rai, Tharanath Shetty, Harikrishna Bantwal, and Arun Coelho were present with Poojary at the press meet.