Karnataka Governor seeks report on prosecution of officials over corruption

In the ongoing tussle between the Karnataka government and Raj Bhavan, the Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot has fired a fresh salvo against the Siddaramaiah government by seeking information on prosecution cases against government officials in the Lokayukta since May 2023.
The Lokayukta is a state-level authority in India that deals with complaints of corruption and maladministration against public servants.
In a letter to the Chief Secretary Shalini Rajaneesh on September 5, the Governor sought to know about the prosecution sanction granted by the government based on the request of the Lokayukta that is investigating the corruption charges against the officials.
The letter asked for detailed information on the investigation of corrupt officials and employees since the Congress government came to power in the state.
The Governor has called for a comprehensive report on the proposals submitted regarding Lokayukta prosecutions, emphasising a detailed breakdown of key points. Specifically, the governor seeks clarity on the timeline, requesting the exact dates when the proposals were submitted for review.
It is also necessary to outline the Cabinet’s decisions in each case, specifically focusing on the approval or rejection of the proposals. In instances of approval, the governor expects precise information on the nature of the punishment recommended. Conversely, for proposals that were rejected, the reasons behind such decisions are to be thoroughly explained.
In response to the governor’s letter, the vigilance cell in the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms on September 10 asked all departments to provide information of Lokayukta’s request for prosecution sanctions “urgently.” The departments have been asked to provide all the details in a week.
This move comes after the Congress government had asked for sanctions to probe against the opposition BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) leaders, including Union Minister for Heavy Industries HD Kumaraswamy, former Ministers and BJP leader G Janardhan Reddy, and others that were pending before the Governor.
Earlier on August 17, the Governor granted approval and sanction to a probe against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with the irregularities in the allotment of alternative sites by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).
The MUDA scam centres on a 3.16-acre parcel of land in Kesaru village owned by Siddaramaiah’s wife, Parvathi. This land was acquired by MUDA for the development of a layout, and Parvathi was allocated 14 premium sites in Vijayanagar in 2022 as compensation under a 50:50 scheme. Siddaramaiah’s brother-in-law, Malikarjuna Swamy Devaraj, is also accused of involvement in the alleged land scam. The case involves allegations against top officials of MUDA as well.