Santosh Hegde hails BJP MLA's sentencing

Former Karnataka Lokyukta Santosh Hegde on Saturday expressed happiness over the verdict given by the Lokayukta court sentencing BJP MLA Y Sampangi to over three rigorous imprisonment in a bribery case

"I am happy that justice has prevailed. I hope the government will be alive to having an institution like Lokayukta", he told reporters, recalling the trapping of Sampangi by Loakyukta sleuths when he was the Lokayukta.

In an apparent reference to the present political scenario, Hedge said, "People who are corrupt are being emboldened and get all sorts of support. In that background, many people refuse to give complaints".

"However, with greater awareness more and more scams are coming out like the Janardhana Reddy case", he said.

He also lauded the Andhra Pradesh High Court for its decision to suspend CBI first Additional Special Judge T Pattabhirama Rao, on charges of taking bribe as a quid pro quo for granting bail to Reddy.

Reacting to the verdict, Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri said the sentence would not have any impact on BJP or its government.

Welcoming the judgment, Congress said the verdict would be a lesson for the corrupt. "There are several corrupt persons in BJP and indications are that they would to go to jail", KPCC President G Parameshwara said in a statement.

He asked the BJP government to appoint a Lokayukta in the state as there were at least 25,000 cases pending before the institution which remained without a head since about a year.