By IANS,
Bangalore : Karnataka Lokayukta, Justice (Retd) Shivaraj V. Patil, who resigned Monday following a row over his buying a housing plot, cautioned the media against malicious campaign on people who spend a lifetime with integrity and build a reputation.
“I would like to caution the media that persons who have spent their lifetime with integrity and built a reputation cannot take such a malicious campaign without deep hurt,” an emotional Patil told reporters Monday soon after submitting his resignation letter to Governor H.R. Bhardwaj at Raj Bhavan.
Noting that the malicious campaign against him and his wife Annapurna had deeply hurt and pained him, the 71-year-old Patil feared that such campaigns would deter honest people from taking up such assignments (ombudsman post) as it would amount to playing into the hands of the corrupt.
The former Supreme Court judge, who lasted in the anti-graft office barely for 47 days since taking oath Aug 3, quit amid charges that he and his wife had bought two residential sites violating housing society rules.
“I request all concerned to honestly reflect and decide whether they want to fight against corruption or malign the people who take up the fight against the corrupt,” Patil said.
“Though I have resigned, my only discomforting thought is, am I giving up this office yielding to the malicious campaign of a few and letting down the hopes of many who had reposed their faith in me,” Patil stressed.
Denying wrong-doing in his wife buying a 4,012 sq feet site from Vyalikaval House-Building Cooperative Society (VHBCS) near Nagavara on the city’s outskirts in 2006, Patil said he gave up very lucrative practice as a lawyer in 1990 to accept judgeship and serve society.
“On being persuaded, I once again gave up lucrative assignments to accept the post with a desire to serve the people of the state. I have discharged my duties as a judge of the high courts of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, chief justice of the Rajasthan High Court, judge of the Supreme Court and member of the National Human Rights Commission,” Patil recalled.