BENGALURU: S R Hiremath of the Samaj Parivartana Samudaya (SPS) has demanded that the state government appoint an honest and upright judge to head the Lokayukta and make the anti-corruption watchdog full-fledged.
Hiremath told reporters on Saturday that ever since the then Lokayukta Bhaskar Rao went on leave in July 2015, the post has remained vacant and the institution sidelined. The Anti-Corruption Bureau, which is under the state government, is just a namesake and it cannot do justice, he alleged.
“We demand that the state government fill the post within the next two months. If they do not, we will stage a protest and fight legally,’’ he said.
Hiremath said out of five cases, Rao was accused in one case and went scot free in the remaining four. “Rao should be made Accused 1 and not Accused 7. We demand an additional chargesheet against him and his arrest,’’ he said.
Hiremath alleged that Rao was a facilitator and was involved in a series of crimes.
Allegations against Gowda, HDK
Hiremath also alleged that former Prime Minister H D Devegowda, former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy and their relatives had encroached 200 acres, including gomala land at Kethiganahalli in Ramanagara district.
He demanded that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Revenue Minister Kagodu Thimmappa and Law Minister T B Jayachandra take action against them and reclaim the gomala land.