In what could be the first major test of its credibility, the first complaint before the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) is against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah himself, over the luxury watch controversy.
High Court advocate Nataraj Sharma S., lodged a complaint, against the Chief Minister seeking a probe into whether the Hublot watch said to cost Rs. 70 lakh, was part of kickbacks or any help was given to the person who gifted the watch. The complainant has also sought a probe into whether the watch was really gifted by Dr. Girish Chandra Verma, as claimed by the Chief Minister on the floor of the House.
How the ACB proceeds on a complaint against the Chief Minister would be keenly watched as it would be a test of whether indeed it will operate with independence on such cases. Opposition parties, activists and senior jurists have alleged that the ACB would not be an independent body.
Labhuram, Superintendent of Police (ACB), Bengaluru, confirmed the receipt of the complaint, but added that it will have to be carefully examined before the next course of action.
Experts are divided over whether the ACB should seek prior permission from the competent authority, in this case the Governor, to start a preliminary probe against the Chief Minister. Prior permission is needed only to probe cases involving decision made by public servants while discharging their official duties, which the watch gift case doesn’t involve, experts argue.
Apart from the new complaint, a total of six complaints against the Chief Minister in various cases, including the watch scandal, lodged by Ramamurthy Gowda, pending before the Lokayukta police have also been transferred to ACB. Officials of the ACB are yet to initiate any action on these complaints.
