In a move that could effectively end even the promise of
an independent probe into corruption cases against public servants,
hitherto carried out by the Lokayukta police, the State government on
Monday, through a GO, wrested the powers of investigation under the
Prevention of Corruption Act from the Lokayukta police wing.
The
State government has now created an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) which
will work under its direct supervision, to probe cases of corruption
against public servants, raising serious questions about the independent
nature of such investigations.
ACB to be headed by
an Additional Director-General of Police (ADGP)-rank officer is seen by
experts as “a dangerous throwback” to the days before the Karnataka
Lokayukta Act was enacted in 1984. An ACB under the Home Department was
working as a watchdog within the government then. While the Lokayukta
police were independent of the Lokayukta in probes under the Prevention
of Corruption Act, the Lokayukta remained the administrative head of the
police wing as well, providing a buffer to carry out independent probes
against political bigwigs, such as former chief ministers.
The
Lokayukta police wing will now be reduced to assisting the Lokayukta in
their probes, under the Karnataka Lokayukta Act, 1988, which even the
former Lokayuktas agree is toothless in fighting corruption.
The
move will effectively make Lokayukta redundant. This is part of the
concerted efforts by the State government to weaken the institution of
Lokayukta. Emboldened by the bribery scandal precipitated by the former
Lokayukta, Y. Bhaskar Rao, the government is misusing the circumstance
to essentially weaken the institution.
N. Santosh Hegdeformer Lokayukta
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