The Hindu : Lokayukta seeks report from Govt. on official

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Dec 11, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Lokayukta seeks report from Govt. on official

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE Dec. 10. The Lokayukta has asked the Government to report the action taken against an Additional Secretary against whom it had suggested disciplinary action.

According to the Lokayukta, Thilagavathi of Peruganoor, Urakkarai Post, Musiri taluk of Trichy district in Tamil Nadu, had given a complaint against B. Bheemaiah, Additional Secretary in the Department of Planning, Statistics, Science and Technology.

The complainant had alleged that Mr. Bheemaiah had duped her of Rs. 9 lakh by promising to get her son a MBBS seat in a medical college in Bangalore. She said that her son, Varunraj, had completed his PU course in June 2002 and wanted to study medicine. One of her relatives, R. Muttaiah, told her that a medical seat could be secured in Bangalore and introduced her to Elangovan, Ramachandran, and Kathiravan who, he said, could help her.

The complainant said she came to Bangalore in the second week of September along with her son, Elangovan, Muttaiah, Ramachandran, and Kathiravan and was introduced to Venkatesh in the MLAs' hostel. Venkatesh promised to get her a seat in St. John's Medical College and said it would cost Rs. 11 lakh to which Thilagavathi agreed.

She first handed over an advance of Rs. 2.4 lakh to Venkatesh's driver on September 17, 2002, and then Rs. 6.60 lakh to Mr. Bheemaiah who was introduced to her by Venkatesh. Mr. Bheemaiah reportedly promised her that he would get a seat for her son in St. John's Medical College and said she would receive the admission card at her Tamil Nadu residence by November 2, 2002.

When her efforts to secure a medical seat for his son or get the money back failed, she lodged a complaint with the Lokayukta, which took up a case under Sections 9 (3) (a) and (b) of the Karnataka Lokayukta Act.

The Lokayukta held a preliminary inquiry and found the official to be guilty. It said that the official had abused his position and was also guilty of official misconduct. It recommended disciplinary action under Section 12 (3) against the official.

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