Bengaluru: Finally the decks have been cleared for the new Lokayukta in Karnataka as Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala has finally given his assent to Justice P Vishwanath Shetty taking over as the new chief of the Lokayukta.
According to reliable sources, State’s advocate-general has forwarded the file after giving the government’s clarifications on points raised by the Governor. The state government sent the recommendation back to the Governor again on Wednesday morning and by evening the governor gave his consent to the appointment Justice P Vishwanath Shetty as new Lokayukta of Karnataka.
Earlier, the governor had refused to give his assent earlier after S R Hiremath of Samaja Parivartana Samudaya had written a letter to him raising several questions about Justice Shetty’s ownership of illegal properties in and around Bengaluru.
Justice Shetty’s name was recommended to the government by a committee headed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and consisting of High Court Chief Justice S K Mukherjee, Assembly Speaker K B Koliwad, Legislative Council Chairman D H Shankaramurthy, leaders of the Opposition in the two houses of legislature Jagadish Shettar and K S Eshwarappa as its members.
The committee also discussed the names of Justice N K Patil and Justice Anand Byra Reddy. The Lokayukta post had been vacant since December 2015.
