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Barely two months after he was appointed Lokayukta of Karnataka, Justice Shivraj Patil on Monday resigned after a controversy erupted over allotment of housing sites for him and his wife allegedly in violation of rules. He tendered his resignation to Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj.
Addressing the media after submitting the papers, the former Supreme Court judge said that he did not aspire or ask for the position of Karnataka Lokayukta. "I accepted it as an opportunity to serve the people of the state of Karnataka with commitment and concern. A malicious campaign has been carried out in the past few days against me. I want the people to judge for themselves the issue of allotment and holding of sites by my wife and me," he said.
"In the year 1982, when I was a practicing lawyer at the high court of Karnataka, I purchased a small site at Vasanthnagar, Bengaluru and built my residence. It was neither allotted by the government nor any society. Thereafter, in the year 1994, while I was a judge of the high court, I was allotted a site in the Judicial Employees Layout by the Karnataka judicial department," he added.
Justice Patil claimed that all purchases have been made through legitimate funds and are accounted for. "On assuming the office of Lokayukta, I voluntarily declared my assets. Despite having no justification an issue was sought to be raised in this regard, taking into account the position I held," he said.
"All these assignments including my current one as Lokayukta I have done to the best of my ability and with a clear conscience. This malicious campaign has deeply hurt and pained me. My only discomforting thought is, am I giving up this office because of the malicious campaign of a few and letting down the hopes of many who had reposed their faith in me," he concluded.