Did speak to Lokayukta official but didn’t threaten him: Deve Gowda

The Karnataka Acting Upalokayukta has written a letter to the State Government complaining that former Prime Minister and JD(S) chief HD Deve Gowda had threatened him and an SP in the Lokayukta.



According to a source in the Lokayukta, a close confidant of Deve Gowda said that Jeevan Kumar Gaonkar who was heading the probe panel into corruption charges against HD Balakrishne Gowda and raided his residence, did not heed to his request. Upset with this, Deve Gowda is said to have threatened Gaonkar on phone for vigorously pursuing the case against his son, a former Karnataka Administrative Service officer.

Talking to mediapersons, Deve Gowda confirmed that he had spoken to Jeevan Kumar Gaonkar but said he did not threaten him. He said, “I called him only to seek some clarification and I have not threatened him. My son and we will fully cooperate with the Lokayukta police in the probe.”

“Certain words used by Gowda during the talk were unpalatable” and the Lokayukta Police thought it fit to bring the development to Government’s notice, Lokayukta police sources told PTI on condition of anonymity. Gowda said “It is true that I have said that limits are being overstepped, and there is limit to every thing”, but he didn’t “threaten” Goankar, who was transferred from the post two days ago as ADGP Administration.

Lokayukta police are investigating a disproportionate assets case against Gowda’s son, HD Balakrishne Gowda, who opted for voluntary retirement from Government service. The FIR against him was filed under Prevention of Corruption Act on the direction of Lokayukta court on a private complaint.

Balakrishne Gowda has been accused of amassing wealth to the tune of `300 crore when he was a Karnataka AdministrationOfficer in the complaint filed by HN Balakrishna, a Government engineer.

As part of the probe, Lokayukta police had conducted raids on the residences of Balakrishnegowda in Bangalore and Mysore. Besides his father, Balakrishne Gowda is alleged to have made a phone call to Lokayukta SP, Shivashankar, adds PTI.