Lokayukta corruption row: Hegde lashes out at BJP

Corruption in the office of the Karnataka Lokayukta is a huge matter of debate today. Questions have been raised about the office on how it continued to book cases of corruption, especially when its own officers were corrupt.

The issue blew out of proportion when an officer formerly associated with the Lokayukta spoke to the media about the corruption. The most stinging of his revelations has been the one relating to the running of a protection cartel within the Lokayukta office.

The officer in question, Madhukar Shetty, who is away on study leave, alleges that some of the officers were extracting protection money, and despite the matter being brought to the notice of senior officials, no action was taken.

The incidents relate to the time when Justice Santhosh Hegde was the Lokayukta. Ever since he submitted his mining report, he has been in the line of fire, especially from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka.  The party has been the most affected by the report.

Hegde however says that he had expected such a backlash. He says that he has a great deal of respect for Shetty.

"He is an honest an officer, and the problem with such persons is that they see everyone else as dishonest. I have had no complaints against him, and trust me he is extremely honest. It is sad that his statements are being made use of by those people who have been affected by the mining report," he said.

"However, I did not expect him to go to this extent. I find that there is a pattern involved in the manner in which the media has reported this," he added.

"He had said these things during a discussion, and the timing of the publication of these statements in the media is very interesting. This discussion was held four months ago. In my report, I had named some journalists who had got kickbacks from some companies who were involved in the mining scandal," he said.

"These statements are today being used for a collateral purpose and not journalistic purposes. I am not saying that the Lokayukta office has been clean. I myself have said that there are black sheep in the department and each time the issue was brought to my notice, I have acted on it," he added.

"In fact, the mining report itself names seven Lokayukta police officials, and hence the allegation that I was blind to the problem is unfair," he clarified.

The bigger allegation that Hegde has been facing is about the names of former chief ministers, Dharam Singh and S M Krishna in the report.

Hegde however defends himself and says that there were two mining reports and in the first one Singh was named.

"The BJP says that I had let him off in the second report. What are they talking about? Show me where the second report lets him off. They should be justified in accusing me. About Krishna's name, I would like to ask the BJP that why didn;'t they braise it when the first report came out? Why are they making such a hue and cry now?" he thunders