In a significant move, Karnataka governor Vajubhai R Vala on Tuesday reportedly gave his nod to the Special Investigating Team (SIT) to prosecute former state Lokayukta Bhaskar Rao over his alleged role in a corruption racket. 

A report in The Times of India states that "The state government had sent the file seeking permission to prosecute Justice Rao to Raj Bhavan in March 2016. With the governor giving permission for the prosecution, the former Lokayukta will have to face trial in a court of law."

Rao, who has been facing corruption charges along with his son Ashwin Rao, resigned from his post in December last year. 

The first indications of corruption within the Lokayukta came to light in May 2015 with suspicion arising that officers posted in the anti-corruption wing were abusing their position and power to run an extortion racket.

The case against Ashwin Rao was filed in the same month by a government executive engineer, M N Krishnamurthy, who alleged that Rao had demanded Rs 1 crore to stop the initiation of corruption proceedings against him. An audio clip of a call made by Justice Bhaskar Rao revealed that he too had been involved in the scandal.