Karnataka govt issues official notification abolishing ACB

Team Udayavani, Sep 10, 2022, 12:44 PM IST

Bengaluru: Acting on the Karnataka High Court verdict, the Karnataka government officially notified the abolition of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and transfer of powers to Lokayukta on Friday, September 9.

The Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms issued the notification for the transfer of powers to the Lokayukta.

On August 11, Karnataka High Court had quashed the March 14, 2016, executive order forming the ACB. It also ordered shifting of the cases pending before the ACB to the Lokayukta.

The judgement of the Division Bench of Justice B Veerappa and Justice K S Hemalekha came on a petition challenging the ACB’s formation and the subsequent March 16, 2016 government order withdrawing the powers of the Lokayukta police from registering and investigating into cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The formation of the ACB through an “executive order” is not justified and Constitutional, the judgement said. However, the Court said the actions taken by ACB so far would stand.

The two 2016 notifications of the government were challenged in a bunch of petitions by various petitioners, including the Advocates Association, Bengaluru, Chidananda Urs, and ‘Samaja Parivartana Samudaya’.

(with PTI inputs)