Fresh trouble is brewing for Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah - a complaint has been filed with the state Lokayukta, accusing the CM of corruption in transfer of police officials across the state.
On Thursday morning, B Shashidhar, President of the Karnataka Police Maha Sangha, filed a complaint with the Upalokayukta against 27 Ministers apart from Siddaramaiah, alleging that they had issued recommendation letters to the Police Establishment Board, asking them to transfer certain police officers with desk jobs to executive jobs.
“These police officers had clerical jobs and had paid the 28 Ministers and ex-Ministers, including Siddaramaiah asking them to give them executive jobs. They had paid these ministers certain amount of money for these favours and in return agreed to turn a blind eye towards the Ministers’ illegal activities. The complaint was filed with the Lokayukta in order to probe the amount of money that has been exchanged,” Shashidhar alleged.
As many as 167 police officers have been named in the complaint for allegedly bribing Ministers for transfers.
Shashidhar has submitted copies of these recommendation letters to the Lokayukta. He alleged that on March 3, 2015, CM Siddaramaiah had recommended SB Maheshwarappa, a DySP in the IGP Central Range be transferred to Assistant Police Commissioner - Traffic, Bengaluru North.
“Several police officers in the Karnataka Crime Records Bureau, the police officials on clerical deputations including the current Byadarahalli Police Inspector were transferred from non-executive to executive jobs based on these recommendations,” said Shashidhar.
The Ministers accused of corruption in the complaint include Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister TB Jayachandra, Agriculture Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, Minister for Environment and Forests, Ramanatha Rai, IT and BT Minister SR Patil, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, H Patil, Minister for Power, DK Shivakumar, Minister for Transport, Ramalinga Reddy, Bengaluru Development Minister KJ George, Women and Child Development Minister Umashree, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies UT Khader, Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya and PWD Minister HC Mahadevappa.
Shashidhar had filed a complaint with the Karnataka High Court in December 2016, alleging that these Ministers and ex-Ministers were involved in corruption and abuse of power in appointment of police officials from the post of police constable to DySP.
The High Court had, on February 1, issued an order stating that the case be probed by the Lokayukta.
“I received the Karnataka High Court order copy only April 24. I had to collect all the data and deal with the legalities of filing the complaint. Hence I filed it 10 days later. The High Court, after looking through the copies of the recommendation letters, had stated that there may be foul play in the 167 postings and that’s why it has directed the Lokayukta to probe the incident,” Shashidhar claimed.
When asked by media persons, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah did not comment on these allegations.