BJP govt fears CBI may fix it,and Oppn may not want me to dig: Hegde on illegal mining probe

Karnataka Lok Ayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde,whose resignation over state indifference to his fight against corruption and illegal mining triggered a political crisis,today said he suspected that the move to take away the illegal mining probe from him was meant to save somebody. But the BJP government,he felt,didnt want to hand the case to the […]

Karnataka Lok Ayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde,whose resignation over state indifference to his fight against corruption and illegal mining triggered a political crisis,today said he suspected that the move to take away the illegal mining probe from him was meant to save somebody. But the BJP government,he felt,didnt want to hand the case to the CBI because it feared that the agency was capable of fixing the state government.

And the Opposition chorus for a CBI probe,Hegde told The Indian Express Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta on Walk the Talk on NDTV 24×7,could be for collateral reasons.

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The CBI,he said,had a very poor record of obtaining convictions. Having taken it this far,if it is to be taken away from me and given to somebody,I would have no objection if the objectives are the same as they are with me. But if it is done for collateral reasons,I will certainly not agree.

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He said past experiences showed that the agency closed many cases which ought to have ended in convictions… people are aware of those cases.

Asked if he thought that the Opposition feared that his inquiry could also get to to them,Hegde said: Could be. Certainly they dont want the Lok Ayukta to sit with this thing because very many permits were given during the tenures of other parties… JD(S),Cong and present govt. There are documentary evidences to show that they have given permits to very many people after taking a policy decision not to give it anymore.

On checking illegal mining,he said there was also the problem of cooperation from officers. Almost all departments are involved and getting their cooperation is next to impossible. Certainly,vested interests are controlling the whole industry.

As you go deeper into the jungle,you need more security. Compared to the objective,the powers given (to the Lok Ayukta) are inadequate. I asked for suo motu power to inquire into Chief Minister,Ministers and other officers. It was in the Act,but within six months of the Act… they took away the powers. I want those powers back, Hegde said.