The Karnataka Assembly on Friday deferred a motion demanding removal of Karnataka lokayukta Justice Y Bhaskar Rao to November 23 as ruling Congress also expressed its willingness to support the motion moved by the Opposition parties.
As soon as the House assembled to take up the day’s business, legislative Assembly Speaker Kagodu Thimappa announced that since ruling party has also agreed to support the resolution moved by the Opposition BJP and JD(S) it has been withheld till Monday.
Thimappa, who had consulted the Special Investigating Team Chief Kamal Panth and Advocate General on the issue after getting a resolution signed by majority of the Opposition Members, had announced yesterday that he has accepted the motion, it would be introduced in the House on Friday and allow discussion before it was put to vote.
“Since the Congress is also supporting and have taken time till Monday, the resolution, if passed, will become unanimous and hence it has been deferred till November 23,” he added.
The Opposition parties are bent upon removal of Justice Rao for his son Ashwin Rao’s involvement in extortion and bribe deal utilising lokayukta Office and Residence.’
The issue came to light following a complaint by Bengaluru Urban ZP Engineer Krishnamurthy who had alleged that Ashwin demanded money for avoiding raid by lokayukta. After receiving the complaint lokayukta Superintendent of Police Sonia Narang investigated and filed an FIR naming Ashwin, lokayukta PRO Syed Riyaz, now suspended, and five others. All are arrested and under judicial custody.
In fact the Opposition BJP and JD(S) set the ball rolling to remove lokayukta Y Bhaskar Rao who is on leave for the past three months.
This first ever petition seeking removal of Rao as lokayukta with 46 members of BJP and 37 of JD(S) signing it was separately submitted to Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa, for his(Bhaskar Rao) exit over an alleged extortion racket in the anti-graft ombudsman’s office involving his son.
Under attack from the Opposition for allegedly soft-pedaling serious charges of corruption in the office of the lokayukta, the congress government under Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had in July tabled the Karnataka lokayukta (Amendment) Bill, 2015 pertaining to removal of anti-corruption ombudsman, which was passed. The passage of the bill has made the process of removal of the lokayukta simpler.
Rao, who has been sticking to his guns despite calls for his resignation, is on a long leave since July after his son Ashwin Rao was arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in connection with the case. Karnataka lokayukta Joint Commissioner (PRO) Syed Riaz and a few others were also arrested in connection with the scandal.
The scandal came to light after lokayukta Superintendent of Police Sonia Narang wrote a letter to the Registrar of Karnataka lokayukta, about the complaint she received from a person who alleged that someone from the lokayukta office demanded Rs 1 crore in bribe to avoid a raid.
According to the Act, the notice of motion for removal of lokayukta may be given in writing to the Speaker or Chairman of the state Council duly signed by not less than one-third of the total membership of both the Houses. On admission of the motion, they shall refer the matter to the Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court for investigation on the grounds over which the removal is prayed for.
Once the motion is adopted, an address praying for removal is presented to the Governor duly signed by the Speaker and the Chairman. Once the Governor gives assent to the address, the lokayukta shall be deemed to have been removed from office in accordance with the law.