Supreme Court Judge Shivaraj Virupanna Patil will be the new Karnataka Lokayukta

BANGALORE: On Tuesday Former Supreme Court Judge Shivaraj Virupanna Patil will be the new Karnataka Lokayukta or ombudsman, said official sources.

In 2005 71 year old Patil retired from the apex court. Early this year he probed the procedures followed in allocation of telecom spectrum in 2001-09 following the 2G scandal. Patil submitted his report on Jan 31.

He was also a member of the National Human Rights Commission. He will assume office on Aug 3 for a term of five years.

Patil will occupy a hot seat as the police attached to Lokayukta are probing complaints of corruption and illegal land deals against Yeddyurappa, his two sons and son-in-law.

The complaints were filed by two Bangalore advocates Sirajin Bhasha and K.N. Balaraj in January after Bhardwaj gave them sanction to launch criminal proceedings against Yeddyurappa and his kin.

Here Yeddyurappa has petitioned the high court against the sanction. A two-judge bench of the high court is hearing the matter.