Justice Ananda takes office as Upalokayukta, says will go by law

Bengaluru: Dec 17: Justice Narayanappa Ananda, a retired judge of the High Court, was sworn in as Upalokayukta on Wednesday.

Governor Vajubhai Vala administered him the oath of office at a function held at the Raj Bhavan around 6.35 pm. Justice Ananda took the oath in the name of God. He assumed office at the Lokayukta office around 7.15 pm.

Speaking to reporters, he said the Lokayukta institution would be open to all people. “Public interest will be the priority and complaints will be adjudicated strictly as per law. I have to go through the Lokayukta Act and decide on action to be taken on the pending cases,” he stated.

When asked whether he will take up cases pending both under Upalokayukta 1 and 2, Justice Ananda said he would have to go through the Act.

“I cannot take up cases pending before the Lokayukta since that will mean overstepping the jurisdiction. With regard to the complaints pending before the other Upalokayukta, I will go through the Act and take a decision in consultation with the registrar. The institution is for the people with complaints,” he stressed.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Law Minister T B Jayachandra, Home Minister G Parameshwara and other ministers were present at the ceremony. High Court judges A N Venugopala Gowda, B Veerappa, Ashok B Hinchigeri, L Narayanaswamy and B Srinivas Gowda were also present at the event.

Justice Ananda was born at Vemgal, Kolar district, in May 1953. In 1977, he began practising as an advocate at the district and other courts in Kolar. He worked as an Additional Public Prosecutor at the First Additional Sessions Court in Bengaluru between 1987 and 1989. He also served as a Principal District and Sessions Judge in Hassan, Chitradurga and Mangaluru.

He was appointed Registrar Judicial and also worked as Registrar General, High Court of Karnataka, from 2003 till he was appointed an additional judge of the High Court in January 2006. He retired in April 2015.