All police stations to register corruption cases till ACB starts operating: DGP

Bengaluru: Director General Police Om Prakash on Wednesday said all the 965 police stations in the state have been directed to receive and register complaints under the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act till Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) police stations are established.Prakash told reporters on Wednesday that the state government has sanctioned formation of ACB police stations in each of the 30 districts across the state. Prakash, however, said there was ambiguity regarding the control of the ACB. According to Section 3 of the Karnataka Police Act, there should be one police force for the state headed by the DGP. The ACB, which comprises police officials, should also be under the head of the police force, he added.According to a government order, an ACB police officer investigating a case under the PC Act has to take prior permission from the competent authority. However since the police officer is discharging duties as per the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), there is no such prior permission required, the DGP said adding that the state police force has suggested necessary amendments in this regard.Besides, he pointed out that the government order stipulated that the ACB's work and progress of investigations should be reviewed by an advisory board, which would be an officer of IAS rank. However as per the CrPC, no officer other than police can discharge duties of supervising or reviewing investigations, the DGP said.Prakash also said there was no dilution of the Lokayukta's power after the formation of the ACB. The Lokayukta police will function and register cases under the Karnataka Lokayukta Act, he said. But Lokkayukta police cannot handle cases under the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act, which only the ACB is authorized to probe, he added.FIRST CLASS ORGANISATIONThe government's aim is to make the ACB a first class organization and to work efficiently and effectively. - M A Saleem, newly appointed IGP of ACB