Finally, powers of Lokayukta restored

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: With approval from the Karnataka cabinet, the powers of Lokayukta to register complaints under the Prevention of Act were re-stored on Thursday.

The approval came a day after the Lokayukta Registrar had written to Chief Secretary Vandita Sharma to take steps for implementation as the state government is delaying the transfer of cases and personnel from the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to Karnataka Lokayukta as directed by the Karnataka High Court.

 The letter also recommended that the government transfer the police personnel who were working with ACB to the Lokayukta police wing, in order to strengthen the existing police wing of Lokayukta and to enable them to prosecute and investigate cases effectively.

The court also made it clear that the officers/officials who were working with ACB should come under the administrative and exclusive disciplinary control of Lokayukta with immediate effect. On August 11, 2022, the High Court quashed the ACB and ordered its cases and staff to be transferred to the Lokayukta.

Meanwhile, the cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, took a decision not to file a petition of appeal against the judgment of a two-judge bench nullifying the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and giving police power to Lokayukta.