The 316-page report of High Court judge R.B. Budihal, which has given a clean chit to Upalokayukta Subhash B. Adi, will now pave the way for the latter to return to discharge his duties. Mr. Adi had gone on leave following allegations against him and after proceedings for his removal were initiated in the State legislature.
The report, submitted to the Assembly Speaker on May 20, said Mr. Adi discharged duties in the interest of the people and there were no evidence to prove the allegations levelled by Congress legislators against him. Mr. Adi precluded from discharging duties as the Upalokayukta after a probe was ordered into allegations against him.
Official sources in the Speaker’s office told The Hindu that the Speaker had ordered to close the matter. The content of the report would be informed to Mr. Adi on Friday. His term ends in 2018. Mr. Adi declined to comment on the matter since he had not received the report copy.
Congress legislators moved a motion in the Assembly in December last, accusing Mr. Adi of overstepping his jurisdiction and closing a case involving relatives of Leader of the Opposition Jagadish Shettar. Congress MLA Tanvir Sait and 78 other party MLAs had signed the motion.
Speaker’s move
In the beginning, the Speaker observed that documents provided by Congress legislators against Mr. Adi “are insufficient” for his removal. He later wrote to the Chief Justice of the High Court seeking a probe into the allegations following pressure from Congress legislators, sources said.
The government, which had obtained the resignation of Y. Bhaskar Rao to the office of the Lokayukta, trained its guns on Mr. Adi, who was appointed during the Shettar government, but failed to trap him owing to lack of evidence to prove charges.
On the day of leaving the office, the former Uplokayukta S.B. Majage had accused Mr. Adi of overstepping territorial jurisdiction.
Mr. Adi is expected to start discharging his duties as the Upalokayukta soon after receiving a report from the Speaker’s office. As the government is yet to appoint the Lokayukta, the anti-corruption body will function with two Upalokayuktas.
It is most unfortunate. The judge has failed to appreciate evidences given by witnesses, including the former Upalokayukta-I and the former Police Commissioner.
V.S. Ugrappa,
Congress MLC
The report is a resounding slap on the face of the Congress government.
B.S. Yeddyurappa,BJP State president
