Pending prosecution requests: Karnataka Governor asks government to explain info leak

Bengaluru: Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot has raised a serious question on the Cabinet’s “advice” that he act on pending prosecution sanction requests against Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy and others while asking the government to explain how it gained access to “confidential material”.

In a letter to Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, Gehlot referred to the Cabinet meeting held on August 22. The Cabinet, in that meeting, resolved to give its “aid and advice” to the Governor that he should decide on pending prosecution sanction requests of the Lokayukta against Kumaraswamy, former BJP ministers Shashikala Jolle, Murugesh Nirani and G Janardhan Reddy who are facing corruption charges. 

“But, on thorough reading of the Cabinet decisions, it is further noted that there is only observation with regard to pendency in according sanction in the above four cases along with dates of submission by Lokayukta Police to this Secretariat, but there is no advice as such (sic),” Gehlot stated. Gehlot also took exception to “confidential material floating around” in the media. 

“I am both curious and perplexed,” Gehlot stated. “...how did the state government and the Cabinet come to know about the request from the Lokayukta police along with dates of submission to the sanctioning authority and other details,” he asked. “And, how did the Lokayukta Police, being an independent body, share confidential material with any person other than the sanctioning authority?”

Gehlot made his curiosity known to see the Cabinet note or material on this subject. “Hence, I expect a prompt and early reply along with Cabinet note/supporting documents and the source of documents/information in this regard,” he wrote. 

The August 22 Cabinet meeting, and the advice to Raj Bhavan, came in the wake of Gehlot sanctioning Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s investigation and prosecution in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam on August 17.

The government pointed out that Gehlot had not decided on prosecution sanction requests for Jolle since December 2021, Kumaraswamy since November 2023, Nirani since February 2024, and Reddy since May 2024.

At the Cabinet meeting held earlier this week in Kalaburagi, sources said it was decided not to respond to requests for such reports by the Governor as they are “deemed as unnecessary interference” in the day-to-day functioning of the government.