BENGALURU: Eight years after the Lokayukta cops unearthed illegal assets allegedly amassed by an IPS officer Dr D C Rajappa, the case is far from reaching its logical conclusion. The Lokayukta sleuths are also helpless in the case of another IAS officer S M Raju, who was arrested for taking bribe in 2003.
For want of permission for prosecution from the state and the Central government, the Lokayukta police are unable to file chargesheet in as many as 98 cases.
In about 90 cases, the Lokayukta cops await sanction from the state government. Some of these cases are more than one-year-old and they include cases against top officials belonging to some ‘lucrative’ departments like Public Works Department and others.
Recently, after a long wait, the state finally gave nod to the chargesheet against suspended Chief Project Officer, Karnataka State Highways Development Project, S C Jayachandra in connection with a disproportionate assets case. Investigation in this case was completed in 2012 itself.
“Despite repeated requests to the respective department heads and competent authorities, the sanctions have been delayed unnecessarily. In most of the cases, investigations were carried out swiftly but they got stuck due to procedural delays,” said a senior Lokayukta police officer.
“Lokayukta cops feel helpless when chargesheet is delayed. Too much delay may also help accused escape punishment if charges are not proved before their retirement,” the officer added.
Though,with the intervention of Justice A N Venugopala Gowda, who is monitoring the pending cases before Lokayukta, there has been some pressure on the state to give nod without much delay.
Last week, Justice Gowda had asked the government to pass an order saying that they will give sanction within three months or explain the exceptional circumstances in case of delays.
Centre’s nod must in IAS, IPS officers’ cases
Additional Advocate General A S Ponnanna said that except two cases pending before PWD, most of the cases awaiting the nod are 6-8 months old.
“As far as the state government is concerned, we are doing our best to get the sanctions as soon as possible. However, we are helpless in cases against IAS and IPS officers as the sanctions have to come from the Central government,” he added.
Cases against IPS officer Rajappa and IAS officer Raju are also delayed as Lokayukta cops are yet to get a green signal for filing chargesheet in these two cases. Central government had reportedly sent back Lokayukta’s proposal, asking for a translated copy of the chargesheet.
Lokayukta Justice P Vishwanatha Shetty is, meanwhile, likely to shoot off a fresh reminder to the government towards the delay in prosecution sanction.