Lokayukta of Karnataka Justice Nitte Santosh Hedge resigns

From Sources Eugene Moodubelle
Bellevision Media Network

Bangalore, 23 June 2010:  Justice Nitte Santosh Hegde who was appointed as the Karnataka Lokayukta on 3rd August 2006 for a term of five years and has 14 months to complete his term has resigned from his post as he has been disappointed as he was not granted more authority including suo moto power to investigate corrupt officers. Successive state governments have promised to empower Lokayukta, but unified opposition from state bureaucrats and politicians has stalled any move to make the anti-corruption institution more effective. Hence, frustrated Justice Hegde decided to quit in protest.  

Justice Hegde who has conducted more than a 100 raids on government servants unearthing crores of rupees in hidden wealth and cash was given a public service award from Transparency International. He had said earlier that "consecutive governments have not taken the issue of corruption seriously. Amendments are in fact made to dilute law as in Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988." His team had also prepared a report on illegal mining in the state but Justice Hegde felt that the state Government was not acting in the right direction towards the report. For example, officials caught in the act for corruption cannot be convicted unless the government sanctions prosecution but the government has been left exposed by its reluctance to support the Lokayukta the best way he wants. 

Ramakrishna Hegde was the first chief minister in India to press for an institution like Lok Ayukta in the state in 1983. Though the Lokayukta had suo moto powers when it was established in 1986, the power was withdrawn within six months. For many years nobody knew about it until retired Supreme Court judge Nanjegowda Venkatachala, now 80, brought to the fore the anti-corruption institution when he took over as Lokayukta in 2001.

Nitte Santosh Hegde is a former judge of  the Supreme Court of India.  He was born on 16th  June 1940 at Nitte village in Udupi District.  He is the son of former Speaker of Lok Sabha and justice  K.S. Hegde. He had his early education at St. Aloysius School in  Mangalore and Madras Christian College in Madras. He completed his intermediate examination from St. Joseph’s College and BSc degree from Central College, Bangalore. He acquired law degree from Government Law College, Bangalore in 1965.

After completing apprenticeship training, N. Santosh Hegde was enrolled as an advocate in January 1966 and was designated as senior advocate in May 1984. He was appointed as the Advocate General  for the state of Karnataka in February 1984 and held that position till August 1988. He worked as Additional Solicitor General of the Union of India from December 1989 to November 1990. He was Re-appointed as the Solicitor General of India in 1998.

N. Santosh Hegde was appointed as a Judge of Supreme Court of India in 1999. He retired as judge of Supreme Court Of India in June 2005. He was conferred Honorary Doctorate of Law degree by the Mangalore University in 2005. For a brief period he worked as Chairperson of Telecom Dispute Settlement Appellate Tribunal, New Delhi. He was of the view that Telcom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) was not the authority for dispute resolution between customers and telecommunication service providers.

N. Santosh hegde was appointed as Lokayukta of Karnataka State on 3rd August 2006 for a term of five years. He has expressed concern about illegal mining taking place in state of Karnataka which have deep repercussion on ecology and to exchequer of the state. As he could not get  sufficient authority and power  to book the corrupt politicians and officials, Justice N. Santosh Hegde reigned from his post of Lok Ayukta in the evening of on 23rd June 2010.