Karnataka Lokayukta police register DA case against Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, await HC order
Bengaluru, Feb 13: The Karnataka Lokayukta police have registered a case against Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar anticipating a transfer of a disproportionate assets probe to itself from the CBI, which is currently investigating it.
The Karnataka cabinet in November last year withdrew the previous BJP government's decision to accord sanction to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to prosecute Shivakumar, who is also Congress state unit President, in the disproportionate assets case registered against him, saying that it was not in accordance with the law.
Lokayukta police are anticipating the transfer of the case from the CBI to Lokayukta, a senior Lokayukta officer said, but acknowledged that the state government's order of withdrawing sanction has been disputed by the CBI in the Karnataka High Court.
"The Lokayukta is bound by the state government orders. As per the state government's order we have registered a case. We are waiting for the court's outcome to see if the case is transferred to us," the officer told PTI.
He said there is no bar as of now on Lokayukta to investigate the case as the court has not put any restrictions.
The officer, however, added, "Without CBI transferring the case documents, there isn't much we can do right now except some basic investigation. For some meaningful investigation to happen, we are waiting for the High Court order and we will act as per its directions."
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
