BENGALURU: Eight years after the Lokayukta cops in Karnataka unearthed illegal assets allegedly amassed by IPS officer Dr D C Rajappa, the case is still a far cry from its logical conclusion. The 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 governments, 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 the cases are more than one-year-old and these include cases against top officials belonging to some ‘lucrative’ departments like Public Works 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, the investigations were carried out swiftly but they got stuck due to procedural delays,” said a senior Lokayukta police officer.
“Lokayukta cops feel helpless when the chargesheet is delayed. Too much delay may also help the accused escape punishment as they might retire before the charges are proved,” the officer added.
With the intervention of Justice A N Venugopala Gowda, who is monitoring the pending cases before the Lokayukta, there has been some pressure on the state to give the nod without furtehr 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 AS Ponnanna said that except two cases pending in 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 delayed as the Lokayukta cops are yet to get a green signal for filing the chargesheet in the two cases. The 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 regarding the delay in prosecution sanction.