BANGALORE: The recommendation made by State Minister for Ports and Environment
Krishna Palemar to the Chief Secretary of the state government to suspend a honest
officer like Karwar’s DCF R Gokul, for the sole reason that he, at the behest of the
Lokayukta, had seized five lakh tonnes of ore that was being transported through
Karwar Port, is learnt to have prompted the Lokayukta, who was already disgruntled
with the government’s double standards, to quit.
“This is not the first time that an officer who only did his duty, as per my instructions,
fell victim to the ire of the government. Several more officials had been punished earlier
for trying to nab the corrupt. If it is not possible for me to protect the officials who are
honest and committed, then what is the use of me remaining in my post?,†the Lokayukta
has questioned the government.
It was in the month of February-March that the Lokayukta police had seized 99 lorries
that were transporting ore to the Belekeri and Karwar ports using bogus documents. At
the same time, the Lokayukta officials also gathered information of ore worth crores
of rupees that was stocked unauthorisedly inside the port. As the Lokayukta had no
authority to conduct a raid inside the port, it had sought the support of the Karwar Port
DCF Gokul who too had fully cooperated with the Lokayukta. Later, after securing the
permission of the court, eight lakh tonnes of ore had been seized.
The government had tried to hush up this case, though investigations later on revealed the
hands of several politicians.
It was on June 21 that the Lokayukta came to know of Palemar’s letter recommending
suspension of the DCF, on the pretext that the officer had abstained from the meeting
convened by the minister at Belekeri. “Gokul had contacted me and requested to mediate
with the government to get his suspension revoked. But I had said there was no question
of bowing before the government and that instead I would give legal advice to him to
pursue the case in the court,†Justice Hegde said.
“On most of the occasions, the government had failed to heed to my request. Even in
case it had given any assurance, it had not fulfilled them. I thought it was better to relieve
myself of the post than being called a Lokayukta chief sans any power,†he further
added.
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