Daijiworld Media Network – Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Aug 22: In a major move undertaken after assuming charge as the new Lokayukta of Karnataka in place of Justice Santosh Hegde, Lokayukta Justice Shivaraj Patil, transferred four police officials back to police department. While some analyze this to be an exercise aimed at shunting out people appointed by the former Lokayukta, others said that the measure was to weed out people facing allegations of corruption.

Bellary Lokayukta SP, Ashok Sadalagi, faces allegations of accepting bribe from Kharadapudi Mahesh, an important person linked with mining mafia of Bellary. It is said that the income tax department had provided documentary proof about the fact that Mahesh had paid bribe by accounting the same as payment to Lokayukta office and Lokayukta SP, in his books, and this finds a mention in the mining report submitted by Dr U V Singh, who headed the Lokayukta investigation team.

Gulbarga Lokayukta SP, Mahantesh, has also been ordered to be reverted back to his parent department. He also allegedly had received kickbacks from Kharadapudi Mahesh.  Ramanagar Lokayukta SP, A N Swamy, and Bangalore rural Lokayukta deputy SP, M V Venkata Naik, have also been asked to go back to their parent department. It is gathered that there are complaints against them from some of their own colleagues, and the officials of a sub-registrar’s office that was raided recently. After finding that these complaints were prima facie true, they were transferred. Sources indicated that the Lokayukta may initiate disciplinary action against these personnel.

The report of Dr Singh also contained the name of former Lokayukta SP of Karwar, but he retired recently. Justice Patil, after studying the report on illegal mining prepared by the previous Lokayukta, decided to cleanse the department of the people with dubious records, sources revealed.

The Lokayukta, it is learnt, has also given his nod to the requests made by DySPs of city Lokaykukta, H R Radhamani, and S Sureh Babu, to release them from the department.