The special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged extortion racket in Karnataka lokayukta filed a chargesheet in the lokayukta Special Court in Bengaluru on Wednesday. The chargesheet which runs into over 1,500 pages, has made the suspended lokayukta Joint Commissioner (PRO) Syed Riyaz the prime accused in the MN Krishnamurthy Bribery Case that blew the lid off the scandal in the watchdog set up to fight corruption.
Ashwin Rao, son of lokayukta Justice Y Bhaskar Rao, has been listed as second accused. On an appeal by SIT, the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) on Tuesday gave Sanction to Prosecute (SoP) Syed Riyaz, who is a Government servant.
Bangalore Urban Zilla Panchayat Executive Engineer MN Krishnamurthy, in a complaint to the lokayukta Police, had alleged Ashwin Rao demanded a bribe of Rs1 crore failing which his house would be raided. Superintendent of Police Sonia Narang investigated the case and filed an FIR naming Ashwin Rao and others. SIT has so far arrested 10 people, including a journalist, a RTI activist, on charges of extortion.
Ashwin and the others were booked under Section 8 of Prevention of Corruption Act for allegedly taking gratification, in order, by corrupt or illegal means, to influence public servants. They were also booked under Section 384, 419, 420 and 120(B) IPC for extortion, cheating by personation, cheating and criminal conspiracy.
Four of the accused received bail from the High Court recently with effect from September 16. However, the SC on Wednesday stayed the order of Karnataka High Court and the accused have to be in jail. After lot of pressure from the Opposition and prominent citizens, the Congress Government led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah ordered an SIT probe to investigate high profile extortion case in Karnataka lokayukta. Meanwhile, a source in the SIT confirmed to The Pioneer lokayukta Justice Y Bhaskar Rao who is on leave, has been interrogated at his residence at Hyderabad recently.