Now, Karnataka Lokayukta has prosecutor trouble

Bengaluru, Dec 22: The problems for the Lokayukta in Karnataka appear to be never ending. While the seat of the Lokayukta lies vacant following the resignation of Justice Bhaskar Rao, now the Karnataka government is looking for a prosecutor who quit citing personal reasons.

There has been confusion and controversy galore where the corruption case against the Lokayukta is concerned.

It may be recalled that the Karnataka police had booked cases against the son of Justice Rao and others in connection with corruption and extortion cases. The son of the former Lokayukta, Ashwin Rao was even arrested in connection with the case.

Should Justice Rao be made an accused?

While it has been alleged that Justice Rao had shielded his son, there is still no clarity on whether he would be named as an accused or not in the case. The prosecution felt that Justice Rao's name should figure as an accused in the case, but the Special Investigating Team has not named him so far.

While the special prosecutor in the case, K Janardhan said that he was resigning on personal grounds, there appears to be more than what meets the eye. While sources claim that he was unhappy about Justice Rao not being named as an accused in the case, the official version for his resignation remains "due to personal reasons."

With the special prosecutor resigning, the case seems to have run into trouble once again. The Karnataka government is already on the lookout for a new Lokayukta. Now the government will have to urgently find a new prosecutor to fight the case in court.

The case is an important one and looks to set a precedent. A body such as the Lokayukta which is meant to fight corruption found itself mired in corruption and this does not send across a good signal to the general public.

OneIndia News