After damning revelation, pressure mounts on Karnataka Lokayukta to quit: India Today- 21 June 2015

Karnataka’s Lokayukta Justice Y Bhaskar Rao is under pressure to quit after damning revelation surfaced that a section of the anti-corruption unit’s police officers are running an extortion racket to insulate senior government officials from ‘raids’.

It has been more than a month since Bengaluru Lokayukta SP Sonia Narang submitted a report on the racket to the anti-corruption body head. But the Lokayukta has neither reacted in public about the extortion racket nor has revealed the action taken against the erring officers.

“People have lost faith in the institution of the Lokayukta ever since the extortion racket became public. Justice Rao should own up responsibility for not containing corruption within his organisation. He should step down immediately to save the honour of the institution,” said BM Shivakumar, president, Jayaprakash Narayan Vichara Vedike.

He pointed out that the Lokayukta had refused to reveal the action taken against the errant officers, who were running the extortion racket. “The Lokayukta should have ordered a probe on the basis of the report submitted by Sonia Narang.

The delay in taking action against erring officials is leading to a lot of suspicion. If Justice Rao does not quit the post, we will stage demonstrations across Karnataka to condemn his support for these corrupt officers in the Lokayukta,” Shivakumar added.

However talking to media, Justice Rao said: “It is all false… There is no question of quitting.”

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http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/karnataka-lokayukta-justice-bhaskar-rao-extortion-racket/1/445962.html

Related Stories:-

• Protesters demand Karnataka Lokayukta Bhaskar Rao’s resignation ‘extortion racket’: June 25, 2015, DHNS
• In-house graft charge case pits Lokayukta vs Upa Lokayukta: Extortion Rs One Crore / Illegal Raids Threat 24 June 2015
• Karnataka Lokayukta police close in on the ‘troika’; a criminal case will be registered against them under charges of extortion, blackmailing and impersonation 25 July 2014
• How did CJI H.L. Dattu build Rs.50 Crore house, questions Markandey Katju.
• How did CJI H.L. Dattu build Rs.50 Crore house, questions Markandey Katju.

• Lokayukta’s resignation sought over corruption

  Deccan Herald–19-Jun-2015

  A non-governmental organisation has demanded the resignation of theLokayukta over allegations of corruption in the ombudsman’s office.
  Justice Rao trashes resignation buzz
  Bangalore Mirror–19-Jun-2015

  Explore in depth (2 more articles)

Karnataka Lokayukta Y. Bhaskar Rao’s resignation demanded “EXTORTION, CRONYISM, CORRUPTION & BRIBERY”- 25 June 2015

Probe on to ascertain identity of caller demanding bribe

The alleged bribery scandal in the Lokayukta has turned murkier by the day, as a group of activists have now demanded the resignation of Lokayukta Y. Bhaskar Rao, on moral grounds.

A group of RTI activists, under the banner of Jayaprakash Narayan Vichara Vedike, staged a protest here on Wednesday demanding the Lokayukta’s resignation and a CBI probe into the bribery charges. RTI activist B.M. Shivakumar told The Hindu : “The Lokayukta has turned into a toothless institution under the present Lokayukta and corruption is rampant. Silence on the part of Mr. Bhaskar Rao on the report submitted by Lokayukta SP Sonia Narang is questionable.” Meanwhile, Lokayukta SP Sonia Narang has begun the probe into the bribery case on the directions from Upalokayukta Subhash B. Adi.

However, sources said it was unlikely that an FIR would be registered as the complainant, a PWD engineer, has refused to lodge a formal complaint. He apprised the Lokayukta police that a man, claiming to be Krishna Rao, called him and asked him to come to the Joint Commissioner, Lokayukta office, and demanded a bribe of Rs. 1 crore to prevent a Lokayukta raid against him.

Officials probing the case are trying to establish the identity of the caller. While there isn’t any officer by name Krishna Rao in the Lokayukta, the police believe it was just an alias used by the caller to mask his identity. “Till we ascertain the identity of this caller, the probe cannot proceed. We are analysing the call detail records and the visitors’ registry at the Lokayukta office,” an official said.

RTI activists seek CBI probe into bribery scandal in the Lokayukta office

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http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/lokayuktas-resignation-demanded/article7351909.ece

Related Stories:-

• Protesters demand Karnataka Lokayukta Bhaskar Rao’s resignation ‘extortion racket’: June 25, 2015, DHNS
• In-house graft charge case pits Lokayukta vs Upa Lokayukta: Extortion Rs One Crore / Illegal Raids Threat 24 June 2015
• Karnataka Lokayukta police close in on the ‘troika’; a criminal case will be registered against them under charges of extortion, blackmailing and impersonation 25 July 2014
• How did CJI H.L. Dattu build Rs.50 Crore house, questions Markandey Katju.
• How did CJI H.L. Dattu build Rs.50 Crore house, questions Markandey Katju.

• Lokayukta’s resignation sought over corruption

  Deccan Herald–19-Jun-2015

  A non-governmental organisation has demanded the resignation of the Lokayukta over allegations of corruption in the ombudsman’s office.
  Justice Rao trashes resignation buzz
  Bangalore Mirror–19-Jun-2015

  Explore in depth (2 more articles)

RTI activists protest over alleged corruption in Karnataka Lokayukta -: 25 June 2015

RTI activists said that the matter must be given to the CBI since the Lokayukta police have limited scope to investigate the corrupt within their own departments.

The RTI activists while demanding the resignation of the Lokayukta have referred to a recent letter written by a Superintendent of Police alleging the existence of an extortion racket within the Lokayukta set up.

Written by Harsha Raj Gatty | Bengaluru | Published on:June 24, 2015 9:39 pm

A group of RTI activists staged a protest in Bengaluru on Wednesday demanding the resignation of anti corruption ombudsman and Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Y Bhaskar Rao in the light of allegations of corruption within the Lokayukta. The RTI activists while demanding the resignation of the Lokayukta have referred to a recent letter written by a Superintendent of Police alleging the existence of an extortion racket within the Lokayukta set up.

The activists who protested at the Gandhi Statue near the Bangalore Race Course have also called for a CBI inquiry into the alleged corruption within the Lokayukta. “It has been over a month since SP Sonia Narang filed a complaint of corruption within the agency. No action has been taken as yet. When the question of integrity of the entire Lokayukta is at stake an internal enquiry is of no use, ” RTI activist S Bhaskaran who is leading the protest said.

The protests by the RTI activists stem from a letter written last month to the Lokayukta registrar by Sonia Narang, an SP of the Lokayukta police wing, where she stated that an Executive Engineer Krishnamurthy had approached her and alleged that he was summoned to the Lokayukta office by a man going by the name of  Krishna Rao and was asked to pay Rs. 1 crore as a bribe to prevent a raid on his home by the anti-corruption squad. Lokayukta Justice Bhaskar Rao is yet to react to the letter but a Upa Lokayukta, Justice Subhash Adi, has ordered an internal inquiry on the issue.

RTI activists who staged a protest on Wednesday said that the matter must be given to the CBI since the Lokayukta police have limited scope to investigate the corrupt within their own departments. “The very reason why SP Narang reported the matter to the Lokayukta registrar instead of investigating it was probably due to the suspicion that one of the beneficiaries of the kickbacks may be linked to the Lokayukta, the Upa Lokayuktas or their kin. If the SP is asked to investigate the case she will definitely face hurdles,” Bhaskaran said. The RTI activists have sought Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala’s intervention to refer the case to CBI or a Supreme Court monitored committee. “We will file a Public Interest Litigation demanding transparency in the probe,” Bhaskaran said –
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http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/bangalore/rti-activists-protest-over-alleged-corruption-in-karnataka-lokayukta/

Related Stries:-

• Protesters demand Karnataka Lokayukta Bhaskar Rao’s resignation ‘extortion racket’: June 25, 2015, DHNS
• In-house graft charge case pits Lokayukta vs Upa Lokayukta: Extortion Rs One Crore / Illegal Raids Threat 24 June 2015
• Karnataka Lokayukta police close in on the ‘troika’; a criminal case will be registered against them under charges of extortion, blackmailing and impersonation 25 July 2014
• How did CJI H.L. Dattu build Rs.50 Crore house, questions Markandey Katju.
• How did CJI H.L. Dattu build Rs.50 Crore house, questions Markandey Katju.

Protesters demand Karnataka Lokayukta Bhaskar Rao’s resignation ‘extortion racket’: June 25, 2015, DHNS

Several Right to Information (RTI) activists on Wednesday held a protest at Anand Rao Circle here demanding resignation of Lokayukta Justice Y Bhaskar Rao in view of serious allegations of corruption at the Lokayukta institution.

RTI activist B M Shivakumar, Aam Admi Party leader Ravikrishna Reddy and JD(U) leader M P Nadagouda were prominent among those who took part in the protest.Shivakumar said as head of the institution, Lokayukta Justice Rao failed to check corruption inside his office.

“Institution’s head has been ineffective. It has been two years and four months since Justice Rao took charge as Lokayukta. It is turning out to be that this extortion has been going on in the last two years. What was the Lokayukta doing all these years. We don’t want a Lokayukta who is ineffective. There was no suspicion of corruption in Lokayukta before, but now it is out in the open. The Governor must take initiative and hand over the investigation to CBI,” Shivakumar said.

Ravikrishna Reddy said Lokayukta must resign in order to restore the credibility of the institution. 

“We have credible information that son of a very senior and responsible person in Lokayukta is behind this extortion racket. Hence, Lokayukta police should not probe the case and Lokayukta Justice Rao must resign immediately on moral grounds,” he said.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/485611/protesters-demand-lokayuktas-resignation.html

In-house graft charge case pits Lokayukta vs Upa Lokayukta: Extortion Rs One Crore / Illegal Raids Threat 24 June 2015

 The corridors of the watchdog and police circles see a direct showdown at the highest levels in Lokayukta between Justice Subhash Adi and Justice Bhaskar Rao

Six weeks back, Sonia Narang, Lokayukta’s superintendent of police, City, dashed off a letter to Lokayukta registrar on how one Krishna Rao demanded Rs 1 crore from a Zilla Panchayath (Urban) executive engineer, Krishnamurthy, to help him wriggle out of a raid. Shockingly, the demand was made in the Lokayukta headquarters in M S Building on two days – May 5 and May 7. So her demand, made on May 11, seemed perfectly valid and simple: Go through the CCTV footage between May 5 and 7 and identify the Krishna Rao.Till June 23 (Tuesday), the Lokayukta, Justice Y Bhaskar Rao, has maintained public silence on such a serious allegation within the institution assigned to eliminate corruption; he has merely mentioned ”Discuss” on Narang’s report and asked for in-house steps so that such occurrences are avoided in future.

On Tuesday, however, the Upa Lokayukta, Justice Subhash B Adi, has gone ahead and ordered Narang to conduct a ‘free and fair’ inquiry and submit a report to ‘me’.

The corridors of the watchdog and police circles see a direct showdown at the highest levels in Lokayukta between the two Justices. ”Upa Lokayukta directing the police wing to investigate the matter is a bit strange. We will have to see how Lokayukta reacts to this. I don’t know how police wing can proceed in the matter without a nod from Lokayukta,” a senior officer in Lokayukta told Bangalore Mirror.

He said it looks like a turf war breaking out between officials and higher-ups in the institution which has taken a body blow on its image of being a corruption watchdog.

“A lot of people in bureaucracy and Lokayukta office expected Justice Adi-like action from the highest level after a report was submitted by Narang regarding the bribe demand.

She stated in the report that a person who identified himself as Krishna Rao called the engineer to Lokayukta office and took the reference of a joint commissioner of police before demanding bribe.

“We will have to see how Lokayukta reacts to this direction from his deputy,” an insider from Lokayukta said.

Speaking to Bangalore Mirror, Justice Adi said the IO, who is city Lokayukta SP, has been directed to carry out a detailed, free and fair probe without budging to any pressure or other factors.

“I had received a complaint by AAP and a notice is issued to the IO in this regard. The IO (city SP) has been directed to carry out a free and fair probe on the allegations. I have told the IO to make an appropriate investigation and submit a report. I have asked her to find out truth in the interest of the esteemed organisation as doubts in the minds of people have to be cleared,” Justice Subhash B Adi told Bangalore Mirror.

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Bangalore Mirror Bureau | Jun 24, 2015, 04.00 AM IST

http://www.bangaloremirror.com/bangalore/cover-story/In-house-graft-charge-case-pits-Lokayukta-vs-Upa-Lokayukta/articleshow/47791168.cms

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Karnataka Lokayukta police close in on the ‘troika’; a criminal case will be registered against them under charges of extortion, blackmailing and impersonation 25 July 2014

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Karnataka Lokayukta police close in on the ‘troika’; a criminal case will be registered against them under charges of extortion, blackmailing and impersonation 25 July 2014

Karnataka Lokayukta police close in on the ‘troika’; a criminal case will be registered against them under charges of extortion, blackmailing and impersonation.
Lokayukta police have been told by several government department officials that a certain Bhaskar, Narasimha Murthy and Krishna made calls to them stating that they are close to some top man in the corruption watchdog institution.

They also boasted they could prevent any raid or trap by Lokayukta policemen if their palms were greased. This troika operated from star hotels where they called their prey and made demands for hefty sums. It is alleged they also operated from a bungalow in Sadashivanagar.
……………………
After Justice Adi ordered a free and fair probe, sleuths from the police wing have started to cull Call Data Records (CDR) of cellphones belonging to some of the people working in Lokayukta whose integrity is in question

Bhaskar, Narasimha Murthy and Krishna: These three names have emerged as the troika that demands bribes targeting government employees across departments with the threat of a Lokayukta probe.

The ‘free and fair’ probe mandate given by Upa Lokayukta Justice Subhash B Adi to the watchdog’s (City Wing) superintendent of police Sonia Narang to investigate the bribe demands in the name of Lokayukta has begun seemingly in earnest. Justice Adi has ordered an investigation specifically into a demand of Rs 1 crore bribe on Lokayukta premises on May 5 and 7 to an executive engineer.

After Justice Adi ordered a free and fair probe by Lokayukta SP, Sonia Narang, sleuths from the police wing have started to cull Call Data Records (CDR) of cellphones belonging to some of the people working in Lokayukta whose integrity is in question.

Lokayukta police have been told by several government department officials that a certain Bhaskar, Narasimha Murthy and Krishna made calls to them stating that they are close to some top man in the corruption watchdog institution.

They also boasted they could prevent any raid or trap by Lokayukta policemen if their palms were greased. This troika operated from star hotels where they called their prey and made demands for hefty sums. It is alleged they also operated from a bungalow in Sadashivanagar.

With this piece of information on their doorstep, Lokayukta police have started to collect more information about these people.

“Once, we collect their CDRs, it will become clear with whom they were in touch with in the Lokayukta. This will provide direction to our probe meant to cleanse the system,” a senior officer associated with the probe said.

These three are key to identifying Krishna Rao as the one who called an executive engineer to Lokayukta premises on May 5 and demanded a bribe of Rs 1 crore to prevent a raid on him, the officer added.

“Once we collect the photographs of these people, they will be shown to the executive engineer who has met Krishna Rao. If he identifies any of them as Krishna Rao the entire mystery will be unravelled, investigators said. The description of Krishna Rao given by the engineer closely resembles one of the troika. Let us wait and watch, the officer stated.

In the absence of CCTV footage available at the Lokayukta office, this is the best method to identify Krishna Rao. Right now, the cameras on Lokayukta premises are real-time ones that are preserved for a very short period of time. To avoid such incidents, we are going to write to the government to get us servers to save the CCTV footage on the lines of CISF servers at KIA. CISF keeps CCTV footage recording for a period of one month on their servers. Right now, in Lokayukta, we have cameras to record real-time, but no storage facility is available. This is the reason why Krishna Rao has yet to be identified,” a Lokayukta officer explained.

This troika allegedly operates in an intricate manner. They identify the corrupt lot who make big money in key government departments. Flaunting their connectivity to a “big man in the Lokayukta”, they approach the corrupt individuals and assure protection from raids, traps and other forms of Lokayukta inquiries if they offer them money in return, sources said.

Once evidence linking them to in-house corruption surfaces, a criminal case will be registered against them under charges of extortion, blackmailing and impersonation.

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By Chetan R, Bangalore Mirror Bureau | Jun 25, 2015, 04.00 AM IST
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=942497059156293&set=a.171248112947862.44840.100001880229123&type=1
http://www.bangaloremirror.com/…/L…/articleshow/47806191.cms?
Related Story: In-house graft charge case pits Lokayukta vs Upa Lokayuktahttp://www.bangaloremirror.com/…/I…/articleshow/47791168.cms?

How did CJI H.L. Dattu build Rs.50 Crore house, questions Markandey Katju.

How did CJI H.L. Dattu build Rs.50 Crore house, questions Markandey Katju..

How did CJI H.L. Dattu build Rs.50 Crore house, questions Markandey Katju.

Despite serious allegations levied against Chief Justice of India, H.L. Dattu by Justice Markandey Katju, no probe or investigation has been initiated regarding the same.

On his personal blog, Markandey Katju had written that he had documents claiming H.L. Dattu’s misuse of his judicial position. The documents, he claimed, contained how Dattu had amassed large amount of property near Bangalore under his wife’s name.

“There are a large number of plots in or near Bangalore purchased in the name of Justice Dattu’s wife Gayathri. Photocopies of the sale deeds by which they were purchased are in the dossier. These sale deeds mention the name of Justice Dattu’s wife Gayathri, but interestingly enough describe her as daughter of Guravayoor ( probably her father’s name ), and not wife of Justice Dattu. This is strange, since the plots were purchased long after her marriage. Was this done to conceal these transactions?” he wrote on Satyam Bruyat.

Markandey Katju claimed that the land was bought by H.L. Dattu in violation of property law that disqualifies a person with family income of over Rs. 2 lacs per year, from buying land in the rural areas of Karnataka.

He also wrote that Dattu had been allotted a plot of land in Bangalore, however “under the relevant scheme such plots could only be allotted to an employee of the Karnataka High Court. A High Court Judge is not an employee ( he holds a Constitutional post, and is no one’s employee).”

“One plot of land in Bangalore was allotted to Justice Dattu under a scheme which had a term that a person already having a plot of land in Bangalore could not be allotted a plot. Justice Dattu already had plots in Bamgalore(sic), either in his own name or in his wife or children’s name at that time. He has also built a palatial house in Bangalore, allegedly on 1200 sq.m. land.  Possibly that house itself would be worth Rs 50 crore or more.” Katju further added.

Markendey Katju made the allegations based on a dossier that he received containing proof of property amassed by H.L. Dattu before he was appointed the Chief Justice of India.
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http://nebula.wsimg.com/0f6aada7a617447f278a248944e104dc?AccessKeyId=05FA5214E94D9EA3E54B&disposition=0&alloworigin=1

http://www.aapvakeelhain.com/how-did-cji-dattu-built-50-cr.-house–questions-katju.html

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• On ELEVATION of H.L. Dattu, as CJI: Full Open letter (as an Email) by Ex SCI Judge Markandey Katju sent to Mr. Shanti Bhushan, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court, and former Union Law Minister on 13th June 2015
• Is H.L. Dattu a Chief Justice of India or a bootlicker ? Justice Markandey Katju : 24 June 2015 in https://www.facebook.com/justicekatju
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On ELEVATION of H.L. Dattu, as CJI: Full Open letter (as an Email) by Ex SCI Judge Markandey Katju sent to Mr. Shanti Bhushan, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court, and former Union Law Minister on 13th June 2015

Dear Shanti Bhushanji,
I hope this finds you well.
You would recollect that before Justice Dattu became CJI I had sent you ( through Prashant ) a dossier containing documentary proof of the large scale corruption by him. This dossier of about 100 pages included several phoptocopies of sale deeds by which Dattu and his family members illegally acquired a large number of properties in Bangalore. I also sent you by email photographs of a palatial house built by Dattu in Bangalore on 1200 sq.m. land..
After reading this dossier you telephoned me and said that the allegations therein are serious. I then told you that in that case COJA ( Committee on Judicial Accountability ), of which you and Prashant are founding members, should investigate into the allegations in the dossier. However, for some reason you and Prashant did not do so.
I now request you and Prashant to call a meeting of COJA and investigate into the charges, since you yourself told me that the charges were serious.
You and Prashant are known to be crusaders against corruption, and you will be rendering a great service to the country if you do so. Prima facie it seems that Dattu has amassed a fortune, and he must explain ( 1 ) how he came across such wealth, ( 2 ) whether it is true that the Karnataka Land Reforms Act was flouted in these deals ( 3 ) whether the rules of the society in which some plots were purchased were flouted ( 4 ) why were several plots purchased in the name of Dattu’s wife Gayathri showed her as daughter of Guravayoor, instead of wife of Justice Dattu, etc.
I had sent a copy of the dossier to Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad, the then Union Law Minister, and requested him to get an enquiry made, but evidently he did nothing.
I expect you now to start the investigation immediately. Already too much time has expired. The whole country looks upto you to get this enquiry made. Like Arjuna, you are standing on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, and are expected to do your duty
Regards
Justice Katju

Mr. Shanti Bhushan’s response to Markandey Katju’s open letter (over email):

” Yes indeed the allegations were serious. However, the documents did not fully make out the case.It is the policy of COJA ( Committee on Judicial Accountability ) to start some proceeding only when it has evidence which makes out a cast iron case. COJA does not havethe power of investigation. Only if the government is willing the matter can proceed further. It is only in cases of complete evidence of misconduct an attempt to get MPs sign an impeachment motion has any chance of success “

Markandey Katju’s response to Shanti Bhushan’s reply:

But it is a cast iron case, for the following reasons :
(1) Several of the plots of land purchased in the name of Dattu’s wife Gayathri ( whose photocopies are in the dossier ) are technically in the rural areas, where the Karnatak Land Reforms Act applies, which prohibits a person from purchasing land if his/her family income is over Rs.2 lacs per year. Dattu’s income alone at the relevant tiime, being a High Court Judge, was about Rs. 15 lacs per year.
(2) Dattu was allotted a plot under a scheme which permitted allotment only to a Karnataka High Court employee. A High Court Judge is a constitutional authority, not an employee
(3) Dattu got another plot in Bangalore under a scheme which said that a person who himself or whose family member already had a plot in Bangalore could not be allotted a plot under the scheme. Dattu and his family have several plots in Bangalore.
(4) All Supreme Court Judges have to disclose their assets. Dattu has not disclosed his palatial house ( whose photographs I sent you by email ) in his list of assets. This can be easily verified from the Supreme Court website supremecourtofindia.nic.in
(5) In several of the sale deeds showing purchase of land ( whose photocopies are in the dossier ) in the name of Gayathri ( Dattu’s wife ), she is described as daughter of Guravayoor, not wife of Dattu. These plots were acquired long after their marriage. Why was her husband’s name concealed ? Is it not obvious that it was done to hide these transactions ?
You say in your email that the govt. should be willing to investigate. Did you or COJA approach the govt. with a request to investigate ?
I request you to reconsider. The whole nation looks upto you as a crusader against corruption. Will you now, like Bheeshma Pitamah, close your eyes while Draupadi’s ‘ cheer haran ‘ is being done ?
Regards
Justice Katju 

Mr. Shanti Bhushan’s next response after Markandey Katju’s response:

” Mrs. Dattu was working as a bank manager which fact has important consequences. Many other Judges had also been allotted plots in the same scheme. So for the scheme, Judges were being regarded as employees. So it would hardly be misconduct for accepting an allotment in these circumstances. Non disclosure of assets may not be a misconduct. Concealment of husband’s name in sale deeds while being a suspicious circumstance may not be treated as proof of misconduct on the part of the husband “

Mr Markandey Katju’s reply to the above mail:

Shanti Bhushanji,
You have raised 4 points in your latest email:
1. Mrs. Dattu was working as a bank Manager.
My response : If that is so then the family income becomes even more. So clearly section 79A of the Karnataka Land Reforms Act, which prohibits a person whose family income is above Rs. 2 lacs from buying land, has been grossly violated.
Section 79A states :
” Section 79-A. Acquisition of land by certain persons prohibited. – (1) On and from the commencement of the the Karnataka Land Reforms (Amendment) Act, 1995, no person who or a family or a joint family which has an assured annual income of not less than 1[rupees two lakhs] from sources other than agricultural lands shall be entitled to acquire any land whether as land owner, landlord, tenant or mortgagee with possession or otherwise or partly in one capacity and partly in another ”
2. Other Karnatak High Court Judges were also allotted plots in the scheme ( for providing plots to Karnataka High Court employees )
My response :This implies that if others did a wrong, Dattu can also do a wrong. So since many others are committing a theft or robbery, Dattu can also do so.
3. Non disclosure of assets may not be misconduct
My response : Dattu has not disclosed in his list of assets a palatial house, standing on 1200 sq.m. land, which may be worth Rs. 50 crore. I had sent you photographs of the house by email. Where did he get the money for buying/building this house, as well as acquiring the other assets belonging to him and his family ?
4. Concealment of husband’s name while being a suspicious circumstance, may not amount to misconduct
My response : Such concealment, coupled with the other illegalities and irregularities, clearly points to Dattu’s guilt. Why should the father’s name, and not the husband’s, be mentioned in the numerous sale deeds ?
In a previous email you mentioned that unless the government is willing to investigate you and/or COJA cannot do anything. Surely you can approach the government and request it to investigate into the allegations.
It is said that Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion. So must the CJI
Sir, you are the Bheeshma Pitamah of the Indian judiciary, who has fought against corruption all your life. I beseech you once again : do not stand with eyes closed while the ‘cheer haran’ of the Indian judiciary is taking place. Instead, do your duty, as Lord Krishna said to Arjuna
Regards
Justice Katju 

Mr. Shanti Bhushan’s latest letter to Markandey Katju:

You have already approached the govt. If they are not willing to investigate even on the complaint of a former Sup Ct judge there is no earthly chance of their starting an investigation at my instance.
The history of govts in this country has been to keep on the right side of the judiciary.The violation of Sec 79 by the wife of a judge does not constitute misconduct on the part of a judge.Even if the house may be worth many crores today the relevant question would be the value of the land on the date of its acquisition and its construction.We do not even know whether the husband or the wife took any bank loans for the construction.
In a nutshell we neither know all relevant facts nor are in a position to get to know them.The public has no means to compel the authorities to launch investigation against judges.Till laws change the public would remain helpless.Only crusader judges like you could have made a difference but only while in office. 

http://www.indoscopy.com/2015/06/open-letter-by-ex-cji-markandey-katju.html

Is H.L. Dattu a Chief Justice of India or a bootlicker ? Justice Markandey Katju : 24 June 2015 in https://www.facebook.com/justicekatju

Narendra Modi a good leader & human being, Chief Justice of India HL Dattu says

 Chief Justice of India HL Dattu showered praise
on PM Modi calling him a good leader and a good human being.
(File photo)

Dhananjay Mahapatra, TNN | Jan 10, 2015, 03.50AM IST

NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi got a glittering certificate on Friday from Chief Justice of India HL Dattu who described him as “a good leader, a good human being and a man with foresight”.

The CJI, who has met the PM four times so far, shared his impression of the man during a rare interaction with journalists in which he described the judiciary’s relations with the government as excellent.

The testimonial is significant, considering that the Supreme Court’s engagement with complaints concerning the 2002 riots in Gujarat under Modi’s chief ministership had kept him on tenterhooks. The apex court had set up a Special Investigation Team to “look into” the allegation of Jakia Jaffri, widow of former Congress MP Ehsan Jaffri who was killed in the riots, that Modi and many other politicians, bureaucrats and policemen abdicated their constitutional duties during the riots. When the SIT gave a clean chit to Modi, the SC asked the trial court to look into the findings of the investigation team.

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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Narendra-Modi-a-good-leader-human-being-Chief-Justice-of-India-HL-Dattu-says/articleshow/45830081.cms