Cocking a snook at the system, tainted KAS officer M.R. Hiremath, who was jailed after being trapped accepting in a bribery situation by the Lokayukta, appeared for duty just a few days after he was released on bail.
The Deputy Commissioner (Land Acquisition), Bangalore Development Authority, who was arrested on November 16, resumed his official duties on Monday but has applied for seven days’ leave from Wednesday, said BDA Commissioner T. Sham Bhat.
Additional Director-General of Police (Lokayukta) H.N. Sathyanarayana Rao said that after Mr. Hiremath was released from judicial custody on November 24, a letter had been personally delivered from the Lokayukta police to the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) recommending his suspension.
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According to Section 10 (C) of the Karnataka Cadre and Service Rules, any officer who has been in judicial custody for more than 48 hours is deemed to be suspended. Mr. Bhat said the deemed suspension comes into effect when the orders are issued by the appointing authority.
Lokayukta officials said that it was now up to the DPAR to take a call on the suspension. Mr. Hiremath was trapped when his tout, N.R. Ramesh, was allegedly accepting a Rs. 5 lakh advance on a Rs. 20 lakh bribe in a coffeeshop in Malleswaram to denotify 1.6 acres.