BENGALURU: THE Karnataka Lokayukta is mulling a recommendation to the state government to file an appeal against the High Court order, which discharged former minister Katta Subramanya Naidu in the multi-crore ITASCA scam on Thursday.
Confirming this, Upa Lokayukta Subhash B Adi told Express that they will take legal opinion after getting a copy of Thursday’s verdict. Then they will ask the state to file an appeal against the verdict in the Supreme Court. The Lokayukta will also check whether an appeal can be preferred against discharge of two other BJP MLAs S R Vishwanath and Muniraju in two other cases, he added.
On the resignation of Venkatesh P Dalwai as Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) of the Lokayukta, Justice Adi said they will examine the reasons cited by Dalwai for his resignation. The institution will also send a reminder to the state government to consider the recommendations of the anti-corruption body with regard to approaching the Supreme Court against the acquittal of Srinivas, an accused in the ITASCA scam, by the High Court.
It may be noted that Dalwai had also cited the reason of the state’s tardy action in high-profile cases in preferring appeals while pointing out that the state government failed to consider the recommendation of the Lokayukta to file an appeal against the acquittal of Srinivas, even eight months after legal opinion was given.
On Thursday, Dalwai had quit in a huff, accusing the government of going slow on corruption cases involving influential people and expressed concern over the Lokayukta not asserting its authority. Dalwai had also accused the government of trying to bail out corrupt bureaucrats and politicians by not going on appeal against their acquittal by the High Court.
Dalwai’s move came just hours after the court discharged three politicians, including BJP leader Katta Subramanya Naidu, in graft cases.
Naidu, whose name figured in the `118-crore KIADB land scam, was acquitted on the grounds that the narration of sequence did not indicate a direct demand or receipt of bribes by him.
Meanwhile, sources said Dalwai will not change his stand.