logo
Lokayukta vigilance wing set up to fight internal corruption

Lokayukta vigilance wing set up to fight internal corruption

BENGALURU: With no positive response from the state government on the constitution of the vigilance wing at the Lokayukta, the anti-corruption watchdog has gone ahead with setting up a division to fight corruption and maladministration within its own institution.
To set up the vigilance wing, Lokayukta Justice BS Patil had requested the state government to create 24 posts, including a sitting District Judge to lead the wing along with one SP, one DySP, two inspectors and others.
'Apart from that, we had also written to the government to sanction 339 posts last October for the entire Lokayukta. Awaiting the government's response, we have constituted the vigilance wing to be headed by the Registrar,' said Justice Patil.
The institution is handling nearly 25,000 cases, both under the Karnataka Lokayukta Act and the Prevention of Corruption Act. As against 1,929 sanctioned strength, its working strength is 1,309.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Karnataka: Sri Ram Sene member held for poisoning children to get Muslim headmaster transferred
Karnataka: Sri Ram Sene member held for poisoning children to get Muslim headmaster transferred

Scroll.in

time2 hours ago

  • Scroll.in

Karnataka: Sri Ram Sene member held for poisoning children to get Muslim headmaster transferred

The police in Karnataka's Belagavi district on Saturday alleged that a member of Hindutva organisation Sri Ram Sene orchestrated the poisoning of water in a government school so that the headmaster, who is a Muslim, would be transferred, The News Minute reported. On July 14, at least 11 children at the Government Lower Primary School in the district's Hoolikatte village fell ill after drinking water there. The headmaster of the school, Suleman Gorinaik, had filed a complaint with the district's Soundatti police station, after which a case was registered. Investigations revealed that a student from the school had poured a commonly-used insecticide into the water tank, The News Minute quoted the police as saying. The police alleged that a man named Krishna Madara got the child to pour the insecticide in the tank by giving him chocolates and money. However, it was the Saundatti taluk president of the Sri Rama Sene, Sagara Patil, who orchestrated the crime, according to the police. Belagavi Superintendent of Police Bhimshankar Guled was quoted as saying by The News Minute that Patil did so to target the headmaster and get him transferred. Patil got Madara involved in the conspiracy by threatening to make his relationship with a woman from another community public if he did not co-operate, The Times of India reported. The police have arrested Patil, Madara and a third individual named Magangouda Patil in the case. All three have been sent to judicial custody, the superintendent of police said.

Andhra HC quashes 15 ACB FIRs citing lack of police station notification
Andhra HC quashes 15 ACB FIRs citing lack of police station notification

New Indian Express

time8 hours ago

  • New Indian Express

Andhra HC quashes 15 ACB FIRs citing lack of police station notification

VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Friday quashed 15 FIRs registered by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) against government officials on disproportionate assets charges, citing that the cases were filed at an unnotified police station. Justice N Harinath observed that the ACB's Central Investigation Unit (CIU) office in Vijayawada was not notified as a police station through a gazette notification when the FIRs were registered. Therefore, he ruled, the FIRs lacked legal validity. The 15 officials, employed across various departments, had filed separate petitions seeking to quash the FIRs. Their counsels argued that as per Section 2(s) of the Criminal Procedure Code, a gazette notification is mandatory to designate any location as a police station. They also cited Section 17 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, which mandates that only a Superintendent-level officer can authorise a case related to assets disproportionate to known sources of income. The Advocate General opposed the petitions, stating that FIRs should not be dismissed on technical grounds. He cited a 2003 Government Order recognising the offices of Joint Directors in ACB divisions as police stations. He also referenced Sections 101 and 102 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, saying pre-bifurcation laws remain valid. Further, he noted that a 2022 notification designated the ACB CIU in Vijayawada as a police station, which he argued allowed temporary legitimacy to earlier FIRs. After reviewing both sides, the court quashed all FIRs registered between 2016 and 2021.

Former VVCMC town planning official booked for amassing ₹31.48 crore in disproportionate assets
Former VVCMC town planning official booked for amassing ₹31.48 crore in disproportionate assets

Hindustan Times

time13 hours ago

  • Hindustan Times

Former VVCMC town planning official booked for amassing ₹31.48 crore in disproportionate assets

MUMBAI: The Achole police in Nalasopara have registered an FIR against YS Reddy, the suspended deputy director of Town Planning at the Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC), who allegedly amassed assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. The case follows a report from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which recovered cash and jewellery worth ₹31.48 crore from his properties in Hyderabad and Virar during searches in June. Former VVCMC town planning official booked for amassing ₹ 31.48 crore in disproportionate assets Reddy also faced an inquiry regarding his alleged connection with the construction of 41 illegal buildings in Vasai East, which were demolished earlier this year as per orders of the Bombay high court. The FIR, filed on Friday, is based on a complaint by PSI Sachin Suryakant More of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Thane. The ACB acted upon a letter from the ED detailing findings from its investigation into large-scale illegal constructions during Reddy's tenure at VVCMC, beginning in 2010. According to the ED, searches were conducted after a money laundering case was registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. The agency said raids at Reddy's bungalow in Hafizpet, Hyderabad, and a house in Yeshwant Nagar, Virar, on June 3 led to the seizure of gold ornaments worth ₹23.25 crore and ₹8.48 crore in cash. Reddy was reportedly unable to account for the source of these assets. The ED concluded that Reddy had acquired these assets through corrupt practices and bribery while serving in the VVCMC. The School police have booked him under sections 13(1)(e) (criminal misconduct by a public servant) and 13(2) (punishment for criminal misconduct by a public servant) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. 'A case has been registered and further investigation is underway,' an officer from Achole police station confirmed. The development comes amid a wider probe into alleged corruption and unauthorised construction approvals within VVCMC. Earlier this week, the ED's Mumbai unit conducted searches at 12 locations in Mumbai, Pune, and Nashik linked to former VVCMC commissioner Anilkumar Pawar, his relatives, and associates. One of the raids reportedly yielded ₹1.33 crore in cash. According to ED sources, Pawar allegedly led a cartel of civic officials, architects, chartered accountants, and intermediaries that facilitated illegal constructions. The investigation has revealed that during his tenure as commissioner, a 'commission' system was established: ₹20–25 per square foot for Pawar and ₹10 per square foot for Reddy in exchange for approving building plans. Reddy and several junior engineers are believed to be part of this nexus.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store