Daijiworld Media Network- Bengaluru (RJP)

Bengaluru, Jul 18: Justice S B Majage retired from his service on Friday as the Upalokayuktha, completing his tenure of five years.

Justice Majage had assumed charge as Upalokayukta on July 19, 2010. Later, when Justice Shivaraj Patil resigned as Lokayuktha in September 2011, Justice Majage took over as acting-Lokayuktha, until Justice Y Bhaskar Rao came as the Lokayuktha in February 2013.

While controversies have become part of Lokayuktha , the anti corruption agency of the state, Justice Majage opened a new can of worms while exiting by saying that other Upalokayukta, Justice Subhash B Adi had ‘encroached upon cases that fell under Justice Majage’s jurisdiction’.

“An enquiry file entrusted to me went to other Upalokayuktha’s office without my knowledge and he made recommendation to drop the proceedings. I have noticed such encroachment increasing by leaps and bounds after there was wide publicity in the media about my visit to Mandur,” Justice Majage said interacting with press persons on the day of his retirement.

Justice Majage said that the enquiry case pertained to misconduct against Dr Sheela Patil, a medical officer in Hubballi.

Majage said he had recently written to the Lokayuktha Justice Y Bhaskar Rao to take action in this regard. But no action was taken till date.

On corruption within Lokayuktha institution, Justice Majage said fair investigation was required into the issue.

“The one who says that the corruption be eradicated from society, should be free from corruption. If we do not practise this, we do not have any right whatsoever to speak about it. With regard to corruption in Lokayuktha office, there should be an independent, unbiased and impartial enquiry by the agency, whatever may be its nomenclature. The corruption issue is an unfortunate situation which should not have come to this institution at all.” Justice Majage said.

It is obvious and clear that all is not well in the Lokayuktha. But who will clean that office is still a mystery. Ultimately the law suffers and the people suffer.