Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Oct 8: Social activist, T J Abraham, has approached Lokayukta special court here with the complaint over Hublot watch gifted to chief minister (CM), Siddaramaiah, supposedly by one of his friends. As Anti Corruption Bureau before which the case is pending has failed to take any decisive steps in the matter, Abraham has taken the complaint to the court.

He filed complaint in which he has named Siddaramaiah, minister, H C Mahadevappa, executive engineer of Bangalore Development Authority, L Raghu, chairman of Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, Lakshman, and Dr Girish Chandra Varma, who reportedly gifted the watch to the CM, and Karan. The court, which received the complaint, fixed November 5 as the date for hearing it.

In his complaint, Abraham said that he had filed complaint with Anti Corruption Bureau, alleging that BDA officer, L Raghu, was the person who gifted the watch to the CM, and not Varma as claimed. "Even after four months since the complaint was filed, first information report has not been registered. The bureau personnel have failed to conduct any investigation. Therefore, Lokayukta court has to order investigation and suitable steps against the guilty," he prayed in the complaint.

He noted that the competent authority has not given permission to proceed against L Raghu. He pointed out that as per norms, if higher ups fail to grant permission to prosecute a government official for four months, it can be presumed that permission has been given.