Karnataka Lokayukta, livid over the “inaction” of the superior officers to suspend officers raided by the Lokayukta Police under the Prevention of Corruption Act, has decided to write to the advisors to the Governor, asking them to amend the conduct rules for government servants.

A visibly upset Lokayukta said out of the 13 officers who were raided in November by the Lokayukta police under the PC Act and from whose premises assets disproportionate to their ‘legitimate’ income were seized, continue to work.

“Only four Motor Vehicles inspectors were put under suspension after we wrote to the Transport Commissioner; the rest have been left untouched. We wrote to the Chief Secretary on cancelling the contract of Srinivasa Reddy, MD, Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Sewerage Board, whose house was raided by the Lokayukta police on November 24. But he has not done anything about it,” said Justice Santosh Hegde.

“The Additional Director General, Lokayukta Police, (ADGP) had also written to the Police Commissioner N Achuta Rao to suspend the eight police officers, whose premises my officers had raided on the same day but he wrote back expressing his inability to do so in the wake of the 2002 amendment to Rule 10 of the Conduct Rules. He said that as per the amendment, a government officer can be suspended only in a trap case where there’s prima facie evidence of him demanding and accepting bribe. In the case of raids the investigating authority has to file a chargesheet, which takes minimum one year,” he said.

Observation

“The Commissioner’s observation was not right because the police officers do not come under the Conduct Rules. The ADGP wrote back to him but he didn’t reply. I will now write to the advisors to the Governor apprising them of the situation and ask them to take appropriate action against the corrupt officers. I will write to Mr Prabhu, incharge of the Personnel Department asking him to amend the Conduct Rules to allow “corrupt” officers to be placed under suspension following raids under the PC Act,” he said. Justice Hegde said allowing “corrupt” officers to continue in office despite having prima facie evidence that they have amassed wealth through dishonest means, is sending a wrong signal to the public, besides pulling down the morale of the Lokayukta police.
Accountable to public

“I’m accountable to the public and have nothing to tell them when they ask me why such corrupt officers are allowed to work? They will lose faith in the Lokayukta institution. Also, for the Lokayukta police officials it’s not an easy task to raid their own colleagues ,” he said.