PIL filed in Karnataka HC on land scam

A PIL has been filed in Karnataka High Court, seeking a direction to government to specify whether Lokayukta Santosh Hegde was the competent authority to probe land scams or it was retired Judge Padmaraj heading the judicial probe ordered by the government.

A PIL has been filed in Karnataka High Court, seeking a direction to government to specify whether Lokayukta Santosh Hegde was the competent authority to probe land scams or it was retired Judge Padmaraj heading the judicial probe ordered by the government.

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The petition has been filed by retired Colonel P T Muthanna and Ravi Channappa, both residents of Kodagu district, in the wake of the "confusion that has been created in the minds of the public in the wake of parallel probes into the issue - the one that is already on by the Lokayukta and another that been ordered by the government recently," counsel for the petitioner B N Shetty told PTI.

The petitioner has also sought a direction to the government to expedite the inquiry at the earliest, he said, adding that the petition is likely to come up before the court in a day or two.

Lokayukta Santosh Hegde has objected to the probe being "unilaterally transferred to a judicial commission without his approval."