Innings as Lokayukta a 'sweet and sour experience': Hegde

Bangalore: Karnataka Lokayukta, Justice Santosh Hegde is stepping down tomorrow, looking forward to a relaxed and enjoyable life like “what every retired person does”. The 71-year-old former Supreme Court judge whose report on illegal mining triggered a political storm that eventually cost BS Yeddyurappa his Chief Ministerial chair, told PTI that his innings as Lokayukta can be described as “sweet and sour experience”. [caption id=“attachment_51890” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde. PTI”] [/caption] “I got an opportunity to help many poor people and also an opportunity to catch some corrupt officers and politicians and have been able to create an awareness about the happenings in Karnataka,” he said. “First of all, I had a wonderful team who worked with me.” Hegde agreed that the “system is not up there” to punish quickly the corrupt who had been caught. “Main thing is you must have a quick disposal system in the country. In Jan Lokpal bill, we have suggested that all corruption cases should completed from the first court within one year. And for that, as many special courts as are required should be created,” said Hegde, a member of the joint drafting committee on the Lokpal bill. He said, “No (corruption) case should be pending for more than one year, under any circumstances, and that will also strengthen the case of the prosecution. Now it takes ten years from the first court. There should be some radical changes in the judicial justice disposal system”. PTI