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Former Supreme Court Judge, Shivaraj V Patil who took over as the Karnataka Lokayukta has a tough road ahead. He comes in at a time when the mining report by former Lokayukta Justice Santhosh Hegde has created a furor in the state.
Barely a couple of hours before he took over as the Lokayukta, the Governor had sent him a sanction to prosecute former Chief Minister Yeddyurappa. When asked, Patil said that it was too early to comment.
"I need some time as I have just assumed my post. The report runs into thousands of pages, and it would take time to study the contents.
I will do my job to the best of my ability, and I have always taken orders from my conscience," he said.
He said that he would not like any comparisons on his style of functioning and added that he has a different style when it comes to work. "My primary objective is to get results," he added.
Addressing his maiden press meet after being sworn-in by Governor H R Bhardwaj, he said, "Let the message go that corruption will not be tolerated at any level in the state. Stringent action will be taken against those who indulge in it (corruption)".
Asserting that pressure of any kind shall not work, Patil, who succeeds Santosh Hegde whose term ended on Tuesday, warned that if some people indulged in exerting pressure, "they will regret".
Though the oath is, "Tough and challenging as expectations are high, I will make endeavours to see that culprits are brought to book at the earliest. The good work done by the previous Lokayukta will be carried forward and we will add to it," Patil said.
Responding to a query on the report on illegal mining submitted by Hegde (which indicted former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa), Patil said, "The report submitted by Lokayukta is long and stupendous. I have not yet read the report, unless I study the report in detail, I cannot comment on it".
To another question on Governor according sanction to Lokayukta police to initiate criminal proceedings against Yeddyurappa over the report on illegal mining, Patil said, "The communique sent by the Governor has not yet been placed before me. Once it is placed, I will examine it and take appropriate action as per the Lokayukta Act".
On his action plan to tackle corruption, Patil said, "Every individual, every Lokayukta has a particular style, instead of saying it, wait and see". In response to another question on Lokayukta being provided more teeth, Patil said to some extent he felt that more powers were needed.
However, he said he would have to study it in depth. To another query, he said his appointment was not by the Bharatiya Janata Party.
"My appointment is by a competent authority. I have never considered or consider myself to be appointed by the BJP". "I have been a judge at various levels. I can be polite in treatment and firm in judgement. Time will unfold", he said.
"I am looking for officers with unquestionable integrity", he said. Referring to complaints on maladministration, he said that currently 11,000 complaints were pending.
"We will have to reach out to the people. We three (along with two Upalokayuktas) have decided, to go to different places and hear the grievances on the spot and see what can be done".
The priority would be to ensure that all cases reach their logical conclusion and disposed of expeditiously and the culprits brought to book, Patil said, adding it was necessary to root out corruption for good governance. He announced that he along with two Upalokayuktas, R Gururajan and S B Majage, will declare their assets which will soon be put up on the official website.
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Born on January 12, 1940 at Maladkai, Raichur district he started his practice at the Gulbarga Bar in 1962. He later shifted to Bangalore in 1979 and practiced at the Karnataka High Court.
Apart from a private practice in which he specialised in both the criminal and civil side, he was also the standing counsel for the Bangalore Development Authority and the Central Silk Board. In 1990, he was elevated as a judge at the Karnataka High Court before being transferred to the Madras High Court, where he remained a judge until 1998.
Later he was made the acting Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, before taking over as the Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court. In 2000, he was elevated to the Supreme Court where he served until 2005. Following this, he took over as the chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission.
Earlier, Patil had probed the procedures followed in allocation of telecom spectrum in 2001-09 following the 2G spectrum scandal. Patil said the oath he had undertaken would be his "guiding spirit" and he would stand by it.
Image: Lokayukta Shivaraj V Patil