BANGALORE: Raj Bhavan has decided to officially reject the name of former Kerala chief justice S R Bannurmath as the next Lokayukta by returning the file to the government with a note. Sources close to Governor Hans Raj Bhardwaj say he is likely to turn down the appointment of Bannurmath on two grounds — first that the Apex Court passed “strictures against him in the Classic computer case” and second that “rules were flouted while selecting just his name for the post instead of a panel of names as required under the law”.More than these issues, Bhardwaj is said to have felt that Bannurmath was being brought to the anti-corruption institution to “whitewash crimes of big people”.Sources close to the Governor said he was preparing a detailed report in the next few days and will send it to the government in about a week’s time.It is said that the Governor was not particularly happy with the government for sending just one name for the Lokayukta post as against a panel of names required to be sent. Besides, the rule of convening a meeting of the panel — comprising the CM, presiding officers of both the Houses of the Legislature, Opposition leaders and the High Court Chief Justice — making them fait accompli, had been flouted. The Governor is said to been armed with the letter of former Karnataka Chief Justice J S Kehar that he was not given the panel of names as per the rules and a letter by Opposition leader in the Legislative Council Motamma asking for a meeting of the panel to finalise the name of the next Lokayukta. Bhardwaj is also expected to seek an opinion of the present High Court Chief Justice Vikramjit Sen, on the issue. There has been a deadlock over the appointment of Lokayukta for the last three months between the government and the Governor. The government proposed the name of Bannurmath on October 27. But the Governor refused to sign the appointment and asked the government to come up with a panel of names or come with a proposal.
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