The alleged bribery scandal in the Lokayukta has turned murkier by the day, as a group of activists have now demanded the resignation of Lokayukta Y. Bhaskar Rao, on moral grounds.
A group of RTI activists, under the banner of Jayaprakash Narayan Vichara Vedike, staged a protest here on Wednesday demanding the Lokayukta’s resignation and a CBI probe into the bribery charges. RTI activist B.M. Shivakumar told The Hindu : “The Lokayukta has turned into a toothless institution under the present Lokayukta and corruption is rampant. Silence on the part of Mr. Bhaskar Rao on the report submitted by Lokayukta SP Sonia Narang is questionable.” Meanwhile, Lokayukta SP Sonia Narang has begun the probe into the bribery case on the directions from Upalokayukta Subhash B. Adi.
However, sources said it was unlikely that an FIR would be registered as the complainant, a PWD engineer, has refused to lodge a formal complaint. He apprised the Lokayukta police that a man, claiming to be Krishna Rao, called him and asked him to come to the Joint Commissioner, Lokayukta office, and demanded a bribe of Rs. 1 crore to prevent a Lokayukta raid against him.
Officials probing the case are trying to establish the identity of the caller. While there isn’t any officer by name Krishna Rao in the Lokayukta, the police believe it was just an alias used by the caller to mask his identity. “Till we ascertain the identity of this caller, the probe cannot proceed. We are analysing the call detail records and the visitors’ registry at the Lokayukta office,” an official said.
RTI activists seek CBI probe into bribery scandal in
the Lokayukta office
