Karnataka governor’s office refuses information about pending requests for prosecution sanction.

Indian Express: Bengaluru: Thursday, October 31, 2024.

Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot had come under fire from the ruling Congress after he sanctioned investigation against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over corruption allegations related to the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA).

At a time when Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot is accused by the ruling Congress of a selective approach to prosecution sanction, his office has refused to disclose information about pending requests for sanction made against former chief ministers and ministers.

Advocate S Umesh filed a Right To Information (RTI) application seeking information about sanction sought by the Lokayukta, police, other investigating agencies or the public during the governor’s term to investigate or prosecute former chief ministers, former ministers and ministers.

In its response, the governor’s office said that as per section 8(1)(h) of the RTI Act, information that would impede the process of investigation or prosecution is exempted from disclosure.

Umesh also asked for details of rejected sanction requests, but the governor’s office has said it is not part of records kept by a public authority and that the RTI Act does not cast an obligation on a public authority to collect or collate such non-available information. Umesh said he was disappointed by the response and that he would approach the Karnataka Information Commission over the matter.

Governor Gehlot recently came under fire from the Congress after he sanctioned an investigation against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over corruption allegations related to the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA).

The Congress then termed the governor’s move as being part of a “political conspiracy” and pointed to a few sanction requests that were pending with the governor. The party thus highlighted corruption allegations against JD(S) and BJP leaders. These cases concern JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy, Union minister for heavy industries and a former chief minister as well as BJP MLAs Murugesh Nirani, Gali Janardhan Reddy and Shashikala Jolle, who served as ministers in previous BJP governments in the state.