Bangalore: Justice Bhaskar Rao is new Lokayukta

Bangalore, 14 Feb 2013 (DHNS): The State government on Wednesday cleared the decks for the appointment of Justice Yarabati Bhaskar Rao as the new Lokayukta of Karnataka.

 

The post had been lying vacant since September 2011, after the then new incumbent, Justice Shivaraj Patil, resigned following  allegations of false declaration while obtaining a housing site. The 74-year-old former chief justice will be sworn into office at the Raj Bhavan by  Governor H R Bharadwaj on Thursday morning.

 

Bhaskar Rao‘s choice was cleared by a panel comprising Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, acting Chief Justice of the High Court K Sreedhar Rao, Legislative Council Chairman D H Shankarmurthy, Legislative Assembly Speaker K G Bopaiah and Leaders of the Opposition in the two Houses Siddaramaiah and S R Patil. According to government sources, Justice Rao’s name won majority approval.

 

Justice Rao was acting Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court for three months in 1999 and later served as Chief Justice from March 9, 2000 to June 26, 2000. After retirement, he was appointed Chairman of Andhra Pradesh Human Rights Commission and later became a member of the National Human Rights Commission. He was a judge of Andhra Pradesh High Court.

 

He hails from Karimnagar district of Andhra Pradesh.

 

The Advocates Association of Bangalore (AAB), which opposed Rao’s choice, has decided to move the Supreme Court, Association Secretary A P Ranganath said.