Days after the arrest of B S Yeddyurappa, the Bharatiya Janata Party faced more embarrassment in Karnataka on Monday with a Lokayukta court ordering a probe into allegations against a senior minister Murugesh Nirani that he had floated a number of companies which got denotified government land, causing loss of over Rs.130 crore to the exchequer.
The SC recalled its earlier order appointing controversial Justice Virendra Singh as UP Lokayukta and named retired judge Sanjay Mishra as the new ombudsman.
Corruption in the office of the Karnataka Lokayukta is a huge matter of debate today. Questions have been raised about the office on how it continued to book cases of corruption, especially when its own officers were corrupt.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday said it was too early to react to the Karnataka Lokayukta's report on illegal mining, which has indicted Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, and asked the Congress to first take action against those named in the Shunglu Committee and Delhi Lokayukta reports.
Spelling fresh trouble for former Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, the Lokayukta police on Saturday filed an FIR against him, Housing Minister V Somanna and two others, alleging irregularities in denotification of land. "An FIR has been filed against Yeddyurappa and Somanna, mainly under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and also for misappropriation, breach of criminal trust and forging documents," City Lokayukta said.
Social activist Anna Hazare will undertake a month-long statewide tour from May 1 to create public awareness on the need for a strong Lokayukta legislation in Maharashtra.
The Lokayukta Court on Saturday issued summons to former Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa and five others to appear before it on March 3 for their alleged involvement in an illegal land denotification case. Besides Yeddyurappa, Lokayukta Judge N K Sudhindra Rao also issued summons to Yeddyurappa's sons B Y Raghavendra, B Y Vijayendra, his son-in-law R N Sohan Kumar, former minister Krishnaiah Setty and directors of Dhavalagiri Properties Limited.
While the Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde gives final touches to the illegal mining report, the people of Bellary say they are not bothered, and Chief Minister Yeddyurappa is on a mission to save his chair yet again. Vicky Nanjappa revisits Lokayukta's first report that came out in April 2010, and dealt with the pathetic living conditions in Bellary.
The Karnataka Lokayukta police on Tuesday carried out searches at the four offices of Sohan Kumar, son-in-law of former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, in connection with the land denotification issue.
The wait continues for the naming of a new Uttar Pradesh lokayukta as a meeting on Sunday to decide on the same failed to do so with the Allahabad high court chief justice questioning the validity of the process.
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Friday moved the Karnataka High Court against the order of the Lokayukta court, which directed the police to investigate the illegal mining case against him.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani on Tuesday led party MPs from Gujarat protesting outside Parliament House against the appointment of R A Mehta as Lokayukta by state Governor Kamla Beniwal without consulting the Narendra Modi government and demanded her removal for "bypassing" established norms.
In a setback to the Narendra Modi government, the Gujarat high court, in a majority decision, on Wednesday upheld the appointment of Lokayukta by the Governor while dismissing the plea of the state challenging it.
Virtually driven against the wall following indictment by Uttar Pradesh Lokayukta Justice N K Mehrotra, state animal husbandry and dairy development minister Avadhpal Singh Yadav on Wednesday put in his papers, an official spokesman said in Lucknow.
According to Lokayukta sources, Prashanth, the chief accounts officer of Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board, was caught red-handed on Thursday evening while accepting a bribe of Rs 40 lakh from a contractor at the Karnataka Soap and Detergent Limited (KSDL) office.
Karnataka Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde on Saturday issued a notice to Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on a complaint against him about denotification of lands. Earlier on Saturday, the Lokayukta expressed regret over his decision to withdraw his resignation over the government's inaction about the massive corruption in the state. While addressing the media at Bengaluru on Saturday, Justice Hegde said that he cannot now undo what has been done and he cannot resign again.
The Lokayukta court has summoned former Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa to appear before it on August 27.The former CM and his family members were indicted in a report on the illegal mining racket in the state by former Lokayukta Santosh Hegde. The case against Yeddyurappa was filed by advocate Sirajudin Pasha. Earlier, the state governor had accorded sanction to prosecute the beleaguered BJP leader.But the trouble for the ruling BJP doesn't end here.
The Supreme Court on Monday rapped the Uttar Pradesh government for not appointing Lokayukta in the state despite its directions and ordered compliance by December 16, saying it seemed that appointing authorities have their "own agenda".
Former Bahujan Samaj Party minister Naseemuddin Siddiqui, indicted in the memorial scam, on Tuesday questioned the legal status of the Uttar Pradesh Lokayukta as Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav asserted law would take its own course in the matter.
The Trinamool Congress, which has six members in the Rajya Sabha, said it will "strongly" oppose the provision and want the deletion of Part III of The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill, 2011, which deals with setting up of Lokayuktas at the state level. "We have already submitted our amendments. We are going to press for it," Mukul Roy, Trinamool leader and minister of state for shipping, told reporters in New Delhi.
The Karnataka high court on Tuesday struck down the appointment of Justice Chandrashekaraiah, the Upa Lokayukta. Justice N Kumar and Justice Kempanna observed that due process was not followed while appointing the Upa Lokayukta.
In a major setback to External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, the Lokayukta court has ordered a probe against him in connection with an illegal mining case. The Lokayukta special court also ordered probes against former chief ministers H D Kumaraswamy and N Dharam Singh in connection with the same case. Lokayukta Special Court Judge N K Sudhindra Rao on Saturday directed the police to complete the probe by January 6 and submit its final report.
The Karnataka government will have to restart its lookout for a new Lokayukta after the Governor formally rejected the name of Justice S R Bannurmath on Monday.
The cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav decided to keep the Lokayukta out of the purview of the RTI Act, a senior official said.
The Karnataka cabinet has raised certain questions regarding the Lokayukta report on illegal mining. The cabinet is supposed to file an action take report before the Lokayukta.
In a bid to allay concerns of states and political parties alike, the government appears to have decided to delink the provision of Lokayuktas in states from the Lokpal Bill.
Karnataka High Court on Tuesday ordered issue of notice to Lokayukta in connection with the anticipatory bail plea filed by JDS leader H D Kumaraswamy on a private complaint alleging illegalities in denotification of government land in 2007 when he was the chief minister.
The government may drop the clause on setting up of a Lokayukta in states in the Lokpal Bill to bring some opposition parties as also allies like Trinamool Congress on board.
In further embarrassment for Chief Minister Mayawati, Uttar Pradesh Lokayukta has now recommended removal of a junior minister, the fifth member of her ministry to be indicted by the anti-corruption ombudsman.
After the Supreme Court upheld the appointment of Lokayukta in Gujarat, Justice (retd) R A Mehta on Wednesday said the Modi government's attitude will not come in the way of his work.
Karnataka Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda on Sunday said the state would get a new Lokayukta in the next 15 days.
Talking to PTI, Deputy Chief Minister S K Modi, who headed a three-member ministerial team to fine tune the draft of the proposed legislation approved by state cabinet, said it will be the most "effective and strong" Lokayukta.
Uttar Pradesh Lokayukta has launched an inquiry against yet another minister in the Mayawati government for alleged misuse of office, just days after the ombudsman recommended sacking of the fifth member of her ministry.
The Bharatiya Janata Party gave notices in both Houses of Parliament for suspension of Question Hour to discuss the appointment of Lokayukta in Gujarat by the Governor without the consent of the state government.
A landmark bill for creation of Lokpal was passed by the Lok Sabha on Tuesday night with the government making it clear that setting up of Lokayuktas by the states would not be mandatory, amending a contentious provision in view of opposition from allies and others.
Karnataka Lokayukta N Santosh Hegde on Friday expressed unhappiness over Bharatiya Janata Party President Nitin Gadkari's accusation that he was 'acting like an opposition leader', saying he failed to understand why he said so.
Karnataka Governor H R Bharadwaj caught everyone by surprise on Wednesday when he said that he would immediately sign the papers if the government proposed the name of Justice Santosh Hegde for the post of Lokayukta.
A week after chiding the Karnataka government over the "inordinate delay" in appointing the Lokayukta, the Karnataka high court on Monday directed it to begin the process of appointment in the next two days.
The Delhi Lokayukta on Wednesday indicted Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit for allegedly misusing government funds for carrying out an advertisement campaign with a "political purpose" ahead of assembly elections in 2008.
The Gujarat high court gave a split verdict on the appointment of a Lokayukta by the governor with one judge upholding it and another differing from that view.
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