N Santosh Hegde, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw slam government move to sack Justice Subhash Adi

BENGALURU: Prominent citizens have slammed the ruling Congress party's moves to remove Upa Lokayukta Justice Subhash Adi, describing him as a competent judge who responded quickly to citizens' woes.

Former Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde, however, said the government was digging an old allegation or two to dislodge him so that the institution of Lokayukta will become headless. "The government accepted the report a year ago in a case Justice Adi is alleged to have helped. Why did it accept it then? It wants a ruse now to remove the lone judge functioning there so that it can shut down the functional anti-corruption watchdog," Justice Hegde said.

During his five-year stint, Hegde said he got about 23,000 complaints from citizens related to maladminis tration and without a Lokayukta citizens could go nowhere for help.

Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar Shaw described Justice Adi as a good person who takes a lot of interest in civic issues. He is one person who is very strict about taking action if he comes across any wrongdoing in Bengaluru, she said. "I am very concerned that there is a move to have him removed. In fact, citizens should be standing up for him," she said.

Shaw, who heads the political action outfit called B.PAC, said whenever the nonprofit approached him with serious issues, he took action. "B.PAC has been working with him and he was tough about the illegal hoarding issue, dumping of construction debris in public places and garbage."

Former Infosys director and AAP leader V Balakrishnan described Adi as an "honest judge who was instrumental in getting Bhaskar Rao investigated on corruption charges. He also was very accessible to common man and is highly respected."

Balakrishnan said there should be checks and balances in the system. "An interested party, like say the legislature, should not have unfettered rights to remove the Lokayuktas Upa Lokayuktas. I think the Delhi model of having a High Court inquiry cum reference for removal should be made a must," he said. Manipal Global Education Services chairman TV Mohandas Pai felt the chief minister should go by evidence to take action instead of going by political considerations. "People's confidence in the Lokayukta is coming down which is very harmful to the state. The CM should take urgent action to stem the rot and restore the dignity of the institution," he said.

Interestingly, Assembly Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa, who has admitted a motion against the Lokayukta and Upa Lokayukta, has found the complaint against Justice Adi lacking in evidence. Two days ago, he told reporters that while he is satisfied with the proofs of wrongdoing furnished by the government against the Lokayukta, the complaint against Justice Adi contained only allegations without any concrete proof.