Justice Patil-Karnataka Lokayukta in land controversy

CNN-IBN

New Delhi, 16 September 2011: Karnataka’s new Lokayukta Justice Shivraj Patil is caught in a potentially embarrassing row that puts questions on his credibility. CNN-IBN has accessed documents that show he got three government allotted properties in Bangalore in violation of rules.

 

Justice Patil recently took over as Karnataka Lokayukta from Justice Santosh Hedge who exposed the mining scam in the state.

 

Lokayukta Patil and his wife got three government allotted properties in Bangalore in violation of law.

One person is entitled only to one property allotted by a government agency or a housing society. CNN-IBN has accessed documents to show that the properties were acquired in 1982, 1994 and 2006.

 

Speaking to CNN-IBN, Justice Patil refuted all the allegations against him. "I did not violate law. My wife will return the property allotted to her in Bangalore," he said in his defence.

 

This comes at a time when the Karnataka Lokayukta is probing corruption and land deals of former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa.