Staying further proceedings based on two separate First Information Reports registered against two officials by the State’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), the High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday asked on what legal basis has the State government established the ACB.
Justice Anand Byrareddy passed the interim orders while hearing separate petitions filed by K.T. Nagaraj, Chief Engineer of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, and Gayathri N. Nayak, Special Land Acquisition Officer of State’s National Highways division, Mangaluru.
“What is the legal basis for the ACB. It is not akin to Lokayukta. Everything was fine under Lokayukta...Why was this ACB constituted...,” the judge asked orally.
To this, ACB’s counsel said that it was created through an executive order of the State government.
Meanwhile, claiming that there was neither a demand nor acceptance of bribe for release of compensation for an acquired land as she had passed order for releasing compensation besides signing the cheque about four days prior to lodging of the complaint, the petitioner contended that she was not caught red-handed as the allegation in the the panchanama is that a cover containing ₹25,000 was found in the bag belonging to her on the table on January 3, 2017 when the petitioner was not in the office.
The FIR contains only the name of Tukrappa, a revenue inspector, it was pointed out in the petition as the allegation was that the revenue inspector had demanded ₹5,000 for himself and ₹20,000 for the LAO.
‘ACB is illegal’
Ms. Nayak, a KAS officer, has also contended in the petition that “the ACB is one without authority of law though it purports to create an independent wing, and it is controlled by the Chief Minister.
The ACB is under the excessive control of political executive, and promoting the growth of authoritarianism and shaking the foundation of democracy.”
In his petition, Mr. Nagaraj had questioned the basis on which the source report about his assets was prepared by the ACB officials considering the properties of his relatives without any valid reason and in violation of the prescribed norms.