Karnataka Lokayukta Y Bhaskar Rao resigns amid bribery scandal

New Delhi: Facing chances of impeachment in a bribery case, Karnataka Lokayukta Y Bhaskar Rao resigned from his post on Tuesday. The resignation letter was sent to Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala on Monday and was accepted by the Governor today.

Rao was put under pressure to resign after the allegation were leveled against him.

"Hon'ble Governor of Karnataka is pleased to accept the resignation of Dr. Justice Y. Bhaskar Rao, as Lokayukta of Karnataka State with immediate effect," Raj Bhavan said in a statement.

A motion was moved by BJP and JDS and affirmed by the presiding Congress government seeking the removal of Rao pending before the Karnataka Assembly with the Speaker Kagodu Thimappa viewing it before denoting the issue to the Karnataka High Court Chief Justice to take the procedure ahead.

Rao has been on a long leave since last July once his son Ashwin Rao was detained by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in association with the case.

Over 85 legislators signed an appeal looking for the impeachment of Justice Bhaskar Rao, who has not appeared in office since the last 100 days. Subsequently, a charge-sheet was filed against his son Ashwin Rao. Incidentally, Justice Rao was made a witness to the case. The case also had involvement of other executives of the Lokayukta, RTI campaigners and journalists.

The scandal was uncovered after Lokayukta Superintendent of Police Sonia Narang wrote a letter to the registrar of Karnataka Lokayukta regarding the complaint she received from a person, who was apparently from the Lokayukta office, and demanded Rs 1 crore in bribe to avoid a raid.