‘CCB has no powers to probe this case’

Chairman of the Karnataka State Bar Council P.P. Hegde has termed as illegal the decision of Lokayukta Y. Bhaskar Rao to hand over to the Central Crime Branch (CCB) of Bengaluru police the investigation into alleged bribery scandal in the office of the Lokayukta.

In a statement, Mr. Hegde said the CCB had no powers to investigate cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act as the Lokayukta police had been designated as the agency to look into them. Moreover, no first information report had so far been registered on the basis of the allegations.

“The Lokayukta is making attempts to defeat fair and impartial investigation,” Mr. Hegde alleged in the statement.