8 MLCs in fake travel bill case may face disqualification: DHS

Legislative Council chairman D H Shankaramurthy on Wednesday said the eight MLCs who are accused of fraudulently claiming travel allowance while being registered as voters in Bengaluru city will have to face disqualification if they are found guilty.

Shankaramurthy was reacting to a DH story that an internal probe by BBMP  found MLCs - R B Timmapur, Allum Veerabhadrappa, Raghu Achar, N S Boseraju, S Ravi (all Congress), C R Manohar, N Appaji Gowda (JD-S) and M D Lakshminarayana (Independent) - submitted false information to vote in the Bengaluru Mayoral election last year.

“This is a first-of-its-kind instance in India. There is no precedent. I must be careful because whatever decision I take will have a bearing on the entire legislature. Disqualification of the MLCs will have to be the final result if their wrongdoing is proven,” Shankaramurthy said, adding he will take a decision “as early as possible.”

However, Shankaramurthy said he may have to consider exonerating the MLCs if they volunteer to return the money they claimed as allowance.

“One MLC - I can’t say who - has given in writing that he is ready to return the money,” he said.

The advocate general has advised Shankaramurthy to take a decision after getting an opinion from the Election Commission. Accordingly, Shankaramurthy has asked Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Anil Kumar Jha to meet him. Also, Shankaramurthy will refer to the Prevention of Corruption Act and anti-defection law before arriving at a decision.

This apart, all eight MLCs are learnt to have written to Shankaramurthy, claiming they had not done anything wrong. They have also sought the chairman's permission to initiate a breach of privilege motion against BJP leader Padmanabha Reddy, the complainant.