Karnataka CM helped businessman for quid pro quo alleges complaint to Lokayukta

A complaint filed just two days after Justice Shetty's appointment alleges that Siddaramaiah nominated businessman to a post for quid pro quo
Karnataka CM helped businessman for quid pro quo alleges complaint to Lokayukta
Karnataka CM helped businessman for quid pro quo alleges complaint to Lokayukta
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A complaint was filed at the Lokayukta Court against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

A man named Ramamurthy Gowda has filed a complaint against Siddaramaiah and has alleged nepotism and corruption on behalf of the CM.

The complaint was filed on Monday, two days after Justice Shetty took charge as Karnataka’s Lokayukta.

The complaint against Siddaramaiah however is not a new one. In May 2016, activist S Bhaskharan had requested the Governor to sanction permission to prosecute Siddaramaiah. Bhaskaran had  sought the Governor’s sanction as Karnataka then did not have a Lokayukta Chief.

In 2015, Bhaskaran had alleged that the CM had nominated a businessman named L Vivekananda to the Bangalore Turf Club and had accepted a loan of Rs 1.30 crore from him. Bhaskaran had alleged that the amount declared as loan was given to Siddaramaiah as quid pro quo for nominating Vivekanana to the BTC.

At the time, the CM and Vivekananda had refuted the charges.

Ramamurthy Gowda has reiterated these allegations. 

The case details

The Bangalore Turf Club has three government-nominated individuals – the Police Commissioner, Finance Secretary and a third person chosen by the Chief Minister’s. L Vivekanada was nominated by the CM in 2013 after he came to power.

Again in 2014, Vivekanada was appointed. Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah's statement of assets and liabilities revealed that he had taken a loan of Rs 1.3 crore from Vivekanada, leading to protests across the state.

In the recent complaint filed with the Lokayukta, Gowda has attached a detailed list of the CM’s assets and liabilities.

In his complaint, Gowda alleges that Vivekanada was appointed as a member of the BTC’s managing committee and also as a steward.

“The Chief Minister has entered into a monetary transaction and availed a loan from L Vivekanada on 28.07.2014. This is in stark contrast to rules, regulations and guidelines being set by the central government with regard to do’s and don’ts for people’s representatives. The code of conduct for chief ministers / ministers being issued by the union home ministry clearly states that – ‘a chief minister/minister should not, nor permit a member of his family, contract debts of a nature likely to embarrass or influence him in the discharge of his official duties,” Gowda’s complaint states.

In 2014, Vivekanada had said hat the CM had sought money from him to buy a site. According to media reports, Vivekananda denied any link between the financial transaction and his appointment. Vivekananda, who was the chairman of the Mysore Race Course said that there was no illegal transaction. He claimed that he does not draw a salary for the post and neither files for travel allowance for the committee meetings.

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