Justice Bhimanagouda Sanganagouda Patil appointed new Karnataka Lokayukta

BENGALURU: Former Karnataka high court judge, Justice Bhimanagouda Sanganagouda Patil, was on Tuesday appointed the new Lokayukta of the state. He currently serves as Upa Lokayukta.
The Lokayukta post has been vacant since January this year when incumbent Justice P Vishwanath Shetty retired after completing a five-year term.
Tuesday’s appointment notification issued on orders from governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot said chief minister Basavaraj Bommai had recommended Justice Patil’s name for the post. The recommendation was also made after consulting the Chief Justice of the high court, chairman of the legislative council, speaker of the legislative assembly and opposition leaders in both houses of the legislature.
Justice Patil retired from the Karnataka high court in June 2018 following a 14-year stint. In 2019, Justice Patil was appointed Upalokayukta when BS Yediyurappa was chief minister.
Samaj Parivarthan Samudaya had filed a writ petition then, challenging his appointment on the grounds that the Chief Justice of the Karnataka high court was not consulted. A Supreme Court order says meaningful consultation with the Chief Justice is mandatory.
But the SC dismissed the plea. Last week, a division bench of the high court disposed of a PIL urging appointment of a Lokayukta at the earliest, saying the matter was under consideration. However, the petitioner-advocate asked the court to keep the PIL pending till the appointment was actually made, citing earlier alleged instances where the government ignored court orders.
The petition claimed complaints and grievances have been pending “for several years” , and new complaints and grievances have continued to accumulate due to non-appointment of a Lokayukta after Justice Shetty retired.