Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Nov 16: Karnataka governor H R Bhardwaj on Wednesday November 16 officially rejected Justice Bannurmath's name for the post of Lokayukta, and asked the state government to recommend another name.
That Bhardwaj had rejected former Kerala High Court chief justice S R Bannurmath's recommendation had done the rounds earlier too, but the governor insisted that he had only kept it aside and not rejected altogether.
On Wednesday, he sent back Bannurmath's name, stating that the judge was 'embroiled in a number of controversies.'
He asked the BJP government to recommend a judge who has a clean record.
"The government had proposed the name of Justice Bannurmath for the post of Lokayukta. I do not agree with that and therefore sent back the name as his (Bannurmath) name is embroiled in a number of controversies," he told reporters.
Taking a dig at the state government, Bhardwaj said, "It is not difficult to find a judge who has no controversy. The government can do a Google search, they will find names."
Bannurmath is facing allegations in a land scam, wherein he is said to have secured a residential site in judicial layout on a land earmarked for civic amenities.
Ever since Justice Shivraj Patil stepped down as Lokayukta following allegations of illegal land acquisition, the post has been lying vacant. Several names have been doing the rounds, but the state is yet to find a suitable judge for the post.
Meanwhile, former Lokayukta N Santosh Hegde lashed out against former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, who had accused the former of being offered a top post from the UPA government, and said that Yeddyurappa should come out in the open and give evidence to support his claim.
"No political party and industry has the strength to buy me... no one has... not even the media I am saying directly," he said.
On Yeddyurappa, he said, "He is sent to jail on a denotification case on a private complaint. Let him understand. Santosh Hegde had nothing to do with the case in which he had to undergo incarceration."