Daijiworld Media Network-Mangaluru (JS)
Mangaluru, Jul 27: Chairman of Karnataka bar council advocate P P Hegde on Monday July 27 welcomed the arrest of Lokayukta Bhaskar Rao's son Ashwin Rao on corruption and extortion charges and demanded that Bhaskar Rao too should be arrested.
Addressing the media at his office in Ballalbagh here, he said, "The state bar council welcomes the arrest of Ashwin Rao, son of Lokayukta Bhaskar Rao. We had protested against corruption in Lokayukta in June end. We had urged the government to arrest Ashwin Rao on July first and he has been arrested today. But only one case has been registered against him. We urge the police to file FIRs in all 23 cases.
"He has been arrested on the information given by Lokayukta SP Sonia Narang. Ashwin Rao should be handed over to police custody and narcoanalysis test should be done. All the details should be gathered and Bhaskar Rao also should be arrested on corruption charges," he demanded.
"Call records of Bhaskar Rao should be gathered and details on different judges contacted by Bhaskar Rao should be found out. Just as taking bribe directly from others is a crime, taking bribe through others is also a crime," he added.
"Bhaskar Rao is the prime accused in this case. He knew everything and he is the one who had chosen PRO Syed Riyaz and his son for the protection business. So he should be arrested immediately and made as the primary accused. Taking bribe is a crime, no matter if it is a judge or the Lokayukta. Bhaskar Rao would give information about where and whom the Lokayukta would be raiding and based on this information Ashwin and his people would blackmail them for money. If they received the money they would not raid, but if not, they would raided those officials. If Lokayukta Bhaskar Rao is not arrested then the state bar council will continue to protest. If he thinks he can continue as Lokayukta even after the arrest let him sit in jail and continue as being Lokayukta there," Hegde said.
"Some of the cases were discussed in the Assembly by some politicians and whatever has been discussed, information should be gathered on it and FIRs should be filed," he added.
He further said, "All the parties without doing politics should support amendment to the Lokayukta Act and the governor should sign it immediately. Thereafter Bhaskar Rao should be arrested. Bhaskar Rao was chosen as Lokayukta in spite of opposition from the bar council. So the appointment of Bhaskar Rao should be investigated by CBI. Lokayukta can be arrested by the police under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Section 2 of the anti-corruption act clearly states that any judge can be arrested in case he takes bribe. If he is not arrested then we will hold a massive protest throughout the state."