CEC blasts Karnataka's sudden transfer of lokayukta police

The Central Empowered Committee (CEC) has refused to accept the Karnataka government stand on the ''sudden transfer'' of senior police officers on deputation to the Lokayukta.

However, the CEC has held back specific directions in view of the assurance from the government on reinstating Jeevan Kumar Gaonkar as head of the Lokayukta police ''if he so desires'' after the appointment of a new Lokayukta.

Gaonkar, additional director-general of Police, Lokayukta, was transferred in November 2011.

The CEC's recommendations on Friday came in response the interlocutory application filed by Samaj Parivartana Samudaya, an NGO fighting against illegal mining in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, and hearing the submissions made by the government.

The CEC, which probed the alleged illegal export of iron ore from the Belekeri port and related issues, observed that ''there are very serious shortcomings both with regard to the investigation carried out till date and the grounds on which the charge sheets have so far been filed''.

''This is one of the rarest of the rare cases where a large quantity of iron ore with a normative value of more than Rs. 250 crore was seized and a majority of the seized ore was found to have been illegally exported outside the country,'' the report said.