The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
Governor rejects state govt’s pick for new Lokayukta again
Second name rejected by Governor; the post has been lying vacant since 2015
KARNATAKA
KARNATAKA GOVERNOR Vajubhai Vala has rejected a recommendation by the state’s Congress government to appoint Justice P Vishwanath Shetty, a retired judge of the Karnataka High Court, as the new Lokayukta.
The retired high court judge was recommended by the government last week following consultations by a panel comprising the Chief Minister, the Chief Justice of Karnataka, the presiding officers of the Legislative Assembly and Council, and leaders of the opposition in both Houses.
Thegovernorreturnedthefile with a suggestion for reconsideration. The appointment of the retired judge had been opposed by an NGO, saying he acquired properties in violation of laws.
Social activist and founder of the NGO Samaj Parivartan Samudaya, S R Hiremath, had written to Governor Vala on January 10, stating that Justice Shetty acquired a government property despite holding a property. Justice Shetty also appeared in the Supreme Court as an advocate for former BJP minister Gali Janardhan Reddy and Congress minister D K Shivakumar who are facing illegal assets cases in the Lokayukta, the NGO said.
“At a time when the anti-corruption ombudsman is facing serious crisis with major loss of public confidence it is imperative that the government applies its mind and recommend names without any blemishes with abundant caution by taking into consideration all the material facts from all quarters including reports in the media,’’ Hiremath and others had said in a letter to the Governor.
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah had dismissed the doubts raised over Justice Shetty’s eligibility, saying the issues raised by the NGO were minor in nature.
Following the rejection of the government’s choice of candidate the Karnataka CM stated that the government will study the reply of the Governor and chart its next course of action. “What is to be done? This (rejection) happens every time,” he said in reaction.
The position of the Karnataka Lokayukta has been lying vacant since December 2015 when Justice Y Bhaskar Rao stepped down in the wake of charges of abetment of corruption and ahead of a move by the state legislature to remove him.
The Karnataka government had subsequently recommended the name of a new judge S R Nayak, a retired high court judge, as the Lokayukta but the name was not cleared by the Governor in the wake of legal questions being raised on whether Justice Nayak, a former chairman of the State Human Rights Commission, was eligible to take up a government appointment after his SHRC stint.