Daijiworld Media Network - Kolar (SP)
Kolar, Jun 29: With reference to an incident in which a silver mace and crown were presented to the then outgoing Kolar zilla panchayat chief executive officer and current deputy commissioner of Udupi district G Jagadeesha, at his farewell function, a first information report (FIR) stands registered against the Udupi DC, taluk panchayat executive officer, and nine panchayat development officers.
The said farewell had been arranged allegedly at the zilla panchayat auditorium at Kolar on August 23, 2019. Based on the complaint, Kolar chief district and sessions court has instructed Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Kolar district to hold an investigation under the Prevention of Corruption Act and file a report of the finding in the court.
The complaint was filed by S Narayanaswamy from Kolar with the director general of Anti-Corruption Bureau along with documentary proof. The complainant has alleged that the farewell was arranged to the outgoing zilla panchayat chief executive officer and gifts were presented in the form of illegal gratification. He had, on June 17, 2020, urged the district court to investigate the matter.
The court has instructed the ACB to submit a report of its finding by August 25 this year.
The FIR has been filed against former zilla panchayat executive officer of Kolar G Jagadeesha, panchayat development officers K Mahesh Kumar, P Narayanappa, M Ramakrishna, V Shankar, H Samparaj, S G Harish Kumar, M Somashekhar, Ashwath Narayan M, Suresh Kumar, and Srinivasapura taluk panchayat executive officer H Anand. The FIR was registered under section 465, 467, 468 and 471 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Deputy superintendent of police M L Puruhotham, and police inspector G N Venkatachanalapathi, are the investigating officers.
Six government officials including outgoing deputy commissioner of Kolar, G Manjunath, have been named as witnesses.
In the past too, some people had made similar allegations. In response, on behalf of Panchayat Development Officers Association, a press meet had been organized in which an explanation was given claiming that the crown and mace had been hired for the function. As the case has now reached the court, the incident has again gained public attention.