In an embarrassing development for the ruling Congress government, Speaker Kagodi Thimmappa has said that although prima facie the charges against Upalokayukta Subhash B Adi appeared to be true, evidence against him was not “convincing”.
Speaking in the Assembly on Saturday, the Speaker said that evidence against Adi, who had allegedly shown favouritism and closed the cases against former chief minister Jagadish Shettar, was not “convincing”.
“No, the available evidences are not convincing. The evidences are not enough to prove the charges of favouritism against him (Justice Adi). There is a need for more evidences. I am trying to gather them (evidences),” he told reporters, according to a report in Deccan Herald.
Thimmappa was speaking to reporters after he met with ADGP Kamal Pant, who is heading the Special Investigation Team that is investigating the charges against Adi.
The Legislative Assembly had passed two separate motions for the removal of the Lokayukta and the Upalokayukta under the new amendments to the Karnataka Lokayukta Act.
The Congress had moved the motion against Adi, alleging that he had closed cases against Shettar, even though the cases were not under his jurisdiction, but under that of fellow Upalokayukta Majage. BJP had vehemently opposed the motion seeking the removal of Adi.
Asked whether the petition against Adi would be dropped, Thimmappa said that a thorough investigation was needed before it was forwarded to the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court.