The Labour Department has refused to place a senior official under suspension despite the Lokayukta police writing a series of letters to the department, pointing out to his conviction in a corruption case. The Lokayukta police have written three letters since last year asking the department to suspend joint director of employment and training Shivalingamurthy, but there has been no action from the department.
A district sessions court sentenced Mr Shivalingamurthy to one-year imprisonment for accepting a bribe and imposed a fine of Rs 40,000 on him. He was trapped in December 2006. He had demanded Rs 20,000 to approve the admission list of three ITI colleges – Sahyadri, Malnad and Sri Rameshwara in Hassan, owned by the complainant in the case, Mr S.M. Marulasiddappa. The Bengaluru Lokayukta police also raided the officer and registered a case under sections 7, 13 (1) (d) and 13 (2) for allegedly amassing wealth disproportionate to his earnings. The case is being tried at the Lokayukta special court. The Lokayukta police had raised objections when he was reinstated in the same post after a five-month mandatory suspension.
“The Supreme Court has ruled that a convicted government official should be dismissed from service immediately. The state government too has directed the department to sack him immediately. We also alerted the Labour department officials, including the secretary and minister, about the possibility of Mr Marulasiddappa tampering with evidence. But there has been no favourable reply from the department higher-ups. It is learnt that they have decided to continue with the officer as he has challenged the court order,’’ a senior police officer said.