Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)
Bengaluru, Jan 18: Retired Justice P Vishwanath Shetty, whose name was recommended by the state government for being appointed as Karnataka Lokayukta, and whose file has been returned by the governor seeking clarification about allegation of acquiring land earmarked by government for grazing, stressed that the charges of illegally buying site and grazing land levelled against him are baseless. He also wondered aloud as to how he was found to be eligible for becoming high court judge, if he was ineligible to be Lokayukta. He felt that some people have been scheming to ensure that the post of Lokaykukta remains vacant.
Speaking to a section of the media who had approached him for his comments on the development, Justice Shetty said he had never asked the government for any post. He confessed that the government had given him indirect hint about its plan to recommend him to the post of the Lokayukta and that he had consented for this suggestion. "Considering my background, a high level committee recommended my name," he stated. He pointed out that besides working as high court judge for over ten years, he has been working as senior advocate in Supreme Court after retirement and that he has always laid emphasis on honesty and integrity.
About the controversy, he said he had been allotted a site by Bangalore Development Authority in 1976 at R T Nagar before he became a judge, and that he has been living in a house built there since 1984. "After I became high court judge in 1995, I got second site in Judicial Officers Extension in my name, when this extension was outside the purview of BDA," he stated. About the legality of securing the second site, he said that at the time of applying for the second site, he had mentioned in the application about the earlier site. "I have not done anything wrong. Many who have sites in this extension are currently functioning as high court and supreme court judges. No one spoke about this when I was a judge, and irrelevant issues are being raised the moment my name is recommended to the post of Lokakukta," he noted. He reiterated that agricultural land bought in the name of his wife in 1986 was not government grazing land.
He felt that there are many who are eligible for this post in the state, but leaving the post vacant benefits many. He guessed that vested interests are kicking up controversies for their selfish ends. He also added that he had accepted to become Lokayukta only because the post gives him an opportunity to serve people, and that he will not be disappointed if he is not given this post.