Karnataka High Court judge raises voice against corruption, threats of transfer
Karnataka High Court judge H P Sandesh is facing transfer threats for criticizing the anti-corruption bureau in Karnataka. The threat of transfer came after he criticized the arrest of junior staff instead of senior officials accused in the Bengaluru collector office bribery case.
J Manjunath, who was the district collector, demanded 15 lakhs from the leading real estate dealer in Karnataka. It was also complained that five lakh rupees were taken as bribe by junior officials. Although the District Collector was interrogated, the Anti-Corruption Bureau arrested two junior officials along with the Deputy Tehsildar.
Justice had asked why the ACB is protecting the collector. The anti-corruption bureau itself has become a hub for bribery, he said. It has also asked to hand over the details of the cases investigated by the ACB since 2016. After this, Justice HP Sandesh was threatened with transfer through another High Court judge. Justice H P Sandesh openly told the court that the threat came indirectly but the message came from higher ups.
Arrested Deputy Tehsildar Mahesh and Assistant Chetan Kumar revealed that the money was bought for the collector. Following this, the government transferred Manjunath as the director of the Child Protection Scheme. But the anti-corruption bureau has made a big mistake to collect concrete evidence or take action against the collector. Another judge who had criticized the ACB was previously transferred, and the threat of transfer was included in the court documents.
Justice Sandesh wrote in the document that there is no fear and the judgeship can be given in lieu to protect the independence of the judiciary. In frequent raids on the residences of government officials and middlemen, cars and gold are found worth lakhs. But often the exact figures of this are not specified by the Anti-Corruption Bureau. Even the High Court judge has faced threats for questioning the anti-corruption bureau’s umbrella for corruption.
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