HC upset with pending Lokayukta cases
Watchdog police fail to provide judiciary with details of cases hanging fire, some as old as 1996
The High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday said it was displeased with the Karnataka Lokayukta police for failing to provide details of cases that were pending for investigation before it. The Lokayukta police had sought time twice before and when the case came up for hearing on Wednesday, submissions were made which the court said did not contain any details it had sought.
“Why are you shy of giving information? Can I make out anything from this? Why are you trying to keep the court in the dark? You are unnecessarily making the court pass orders,” Justice AN Venugopala Gowda said. The court had sought details of pending cases in a case by Dr VL Nandeesh, the head of department of surgery of Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences. He had sought quashing of the case filed against him by the Lokayukta police in December 2013 for disproportionate assets.
Rejecting the submissions made by the Lokayukta police about cases pending since ‘one year’ the HC said, “I am not prepared to buy it. Shall I give all the information by evening from your website?” The court said that the country is not poor for those who are protected from law. “It (country) has become a mine yard for making money,” the court said. The court said the Lokayukta counsel should get all the information from the Lokayukta police.
It came to light that there were 241 cases pending before the Lokayukta police and when the court insisted it was told that the oldest among them dated to 1996. The counsel said that investigation in this case was stayed by the SC. The HC said that in cases where there were stays, it only took one-page applications to seek vacation of the stay but these are never sought. The court said it was inclined to pass orders as otherwise the system would fail.
The court said delays in cases should be ended. “You know why there is delay. If there is a stay, bring it to the notice of the court. If there is a stay four years ago, why did you not file for vacating the stay? It is your duty to get the stay vacated. I do not want to say now. I do not know how people join hands. Don’t make me speak more. No court will say no to investigation unless there are abnormal circumstances. How to find a solution to this? Do not kill the institutions,” the court said.
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The High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday said it was displeased with the Karnataka Lokayukta police for failing to provide details of cases that were pending for investigation before it. The Lokayukta police had sought time twice before and when the case came up for hearing on Wednesday, submissions were made which the court said did not contain any details it had sought.
“Why are you shy of giving information? Can I make out anything from this? Why are you trying to keep the court in the dark? You are unnecessarily making the court pass orders,” Justice AN Venugopala Gowda said. The court had sought details of pending cases in a case by Dr VL Nandeesh, the head of department of surgery of Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences. He had sought quashing of the case filed against him by the Lokayukta police in December 2013 for disproportionate assets.
Rejecting the submissions made by the Lokayukta police about cases pending since ‘one year’ the HC said, “I am not prepared to buy it. Shall I give all the information by evening from your website?” The court said that the country is not poor for those who are protected from law. “It (country) has become a mine yard for making money,” the court said. The court said the Lokayukta counsel should get all the information from the Lokayukta police.
It came to light that there were 241 cases pending before the Lokayukta police and when the court insisted it was told that the oldest among them dated to 1996. The counsel said that investigation in this case was stayed by the SC. The HC said that in cases where there were stays, it only took one-page applications to seek vacation of the stay but these are never sought. The court said it was inclined to pass orders as otherwise the system would fail.
The court said delays in cases should be ended. “You know why there is delay. If there is a stay, bring it to the notice of the court. If there is a stay four years ago, why did you not file for vacating the stay? It is your duty to get the stay vacated. I do not want to say now. I do not know how people join hands. Don’t make me speak more. No court will say no to investigation unless there are abnormal circumstances. How to find a solution to this? Do not kill the institutions,” the court said.
The court told the Lokayukta counsel that it would make an exception in his case and he could use his iPad to access the Lokayukta website and get all the details in the court hall itself. “I can access it myself instead of depending on you. Your officers are taking it for granted that the counsel will take care of the case in court.” After much pleading, the court gave time till July 15 to submit detailed information of cases in various stages pending for sanction in the Lokayukta and reasons for the delay.
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