Karnataka Lokayukta: Time ran out for Justice Y Bhaskar Rao

Bengaluru, Dec 9: The resignation letter tendered by Justice Y Bhaskar Rao to the post of Karnataka Lokayukta ended a long drawn ordeal. First charges of corruption hit the Lokayukta with the son of Justice Rao being made an accused.

This then led to Justice Rao going on extended leave without delegating work to his colleagues as a result of which the pendency of cases shot up.

After several months, Justice Rao finally tendered his resignation and this brings us to the question, why did he not do it earlier?

Former Lokayukta of Karnataka, Justice Santhosh Hegde says that the same could have been done earlier and it would have saved the institution of the embarrassment.

Time was running out:

The timing of the resignation is quite interesting. What prompted Justice Rao to take this decision after so many months. Was time running out as the Assembly Speaker was convinced of the charges against him. Justice Hegde tells OneIndia that the resignation came at a time when the speaker of the assembly was convinced of the charges.

The Karnataka Assembly had moved a motion to oust him as the Lokayukta. Justice Rao felt that it would be less embarrassing to resign rather than be ousted or impeached.

He was aware that the assembly had made up its mind to oust him and it was just a matter of time before the motion would have gone through. The law ministry has indicated that the the motion will be terminated as null and void in the wake of this resignation.

However Justice Hegde adds that it is to be seen what happens to the motion in the assembly. Can the charges be dropped now that he has resigned? I highly doubt it Justice Hegde adds.

A resignation cannot be a way out. There ought to be a probe and if the Special Investigating Team does find evidence that he had abetted his son, Ashwin Rao, then action ought to be taken, Justice Hegde also adds.

OneIndia News