Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj on Thursday accepted the resignation of state Upa Lokayukta R Gururajan. Gururajan, a retired judge of the Karnataka high court, had submitted the resignation citing “medical reasons” for leaving the office within three months of taking over.
“The Governor of Karnataka is pleased to accept the resignation of Justice R Gururajan as Upa Lokayukta of Karnataka with effect from October 13, 2011,” a Raj Bhavan communiqué said.
Gururajan’s resignation has come around three weeks after Lokayukta Shivaraj Patil resigned following a row over his acquiring two house sites in Bangalore from two housing societies allegedly in violation of rules.
Though Gururajan offered health reasons for quitting, speculation in political circles are abuzz with rumours that he did so to avoid the possible row over owning more than two houses in Bangalore.
Gururajan’s assets, as declared by him after taking over as Upa Lokayukta on
August 3, show that he bought a residential plot in Karnataka Judicial Employees Housing Society in 2001 even though he owned two houses in Bangalore, one of which is on lease from another housing society.
Patil and Gururajan took office on August 3. Patil, a retired judge of the Supreme Court, however, resigned on September 19.
With the resignation of Gururajan, the state now has one Upa Lokayukta in S B Majage, a retired judge of the Karnataka high court.
Only retired a Supreme Court judge or retired high court chief justice can be appointed Lokayukta. Upa Lokayukta can be a retired high court judge.
