MF Saldanha wants Lokayukta from outside state

Mangalore, November 15: Retired Justice Michael F Saldanha, chairman, Transparency International India, Karnataka Chapter has suggested that a Lokayukta from outside the state would serve the institution better as "this may make it more difficult for local factors to be pressed into service."

In a letter written to the to the state governor H R Bhardwaj on Saturday, Saldanha recalled that when he was Union law minister, the Government of India and the Supreme Court took a decision on having an outsider as the Chief Justice of each high court.

"Though controversial at that time, the decision has worked very well and at this point of time, it would probably be a salutary principle for the State to have an outsider in this post," he observed.

Appreciating Governor's stand on the issue, Saldanha pointed out that efforts are (being) made to choose candidates on the basis of caste and community or to ensure that a pliable person will occupy that office in the confidence that they can be manipulated.

Admitting that there is tremendous local pressure of all sorts and only a very strong human being can function despite this, he pointed out at Justice Venkatachala and Justice Santosh Hegde for their outstanding courage and integrity in the face of almost insurmountable odds.

Regarding transfer of Additional DGP Jeevan Kumar V Gaonkar, Saldanha noted that he has been there for a very short time (60 days) and there is a total bar to touching him when he is incharge of sensitive investigations.

He said media has pointed out the replacements are Yeddyurappa Loyalists and there is no doubt that this is a direct step through the medium of the State Government to sabotage the present and future prosecutions. "If the action is malafide, motivated and illegal, you as the highest authority of the government will be fully justified in ordering the state government to restore the status-quo ante," he added.