Bangalore, 11/8: In a significant judgment, the High Court of Karnataka on Thursday abolished the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB), formed by the state government in 2016 by withdrawing the Lokayukta police wing’s power under Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act.
Allowing a batch of petitions filed challenging the creation of ACB, a division bench comprising Justice B Veerappa and Justice K S Hemalekha said that all pending cases before the ACB will now get transferred to the Lokayukta police wing.
The court held that the state government was not justified in constituting the ACB by an executive government order when the Lokayukta Act occupied the field to eradicate corruption. The court also held that the state is also not justified in issuing subsequent notification dated March 19, 2016, superseding earlier notification that authorized Lokayukta police the powers of investigation under Prevention of Corruption Act as well the status of a police station.