Press Note Released on 8/4/08

Press Note Released on 8/4/08

I am Jayashree JN – wife of MN Vijayakumar, IAS. I have made an abnormal request with the Governor of Karnataka. Each time Lokayukta conducts raids of corrupt officers he writes to the Government to keep them under suspension. But I am forced to make an abnormal request to the Governor to suspend my husband though he is perhaps the first IAS officer in the country to have been recognized for his integrity. Why this abnormal request? I am giving the reasons. The details are based on information obtained under the RTI Act from the offices of the Governor, the Chief Secretary and six other Departments and are based on more than 250 questions I asked over the last one year. They were all obtained on the grounds of corruption and threats to lives.

Vijayakumar, who is in the Service since 1981, in addition to performing his duties, has been also working to introduce transparency and fight corruption in the system. He has faced many hurdles and harassments and in the last two year has been facing threats to life and miraculously survived two attempts while under police protection in Belgaum. This was conspired by some bad, corrupt IAS officers. He has complained to the President and has sought enquiry by the CBI. My family members including me who were forced to stay in Bangalore have also faced many threats.

From September 2006 to June 2007 he was transferred seven times for his stand against corruption. His period of working from March 2007 to August 2007 as MD Mysore Lamps has been fully suppressed with ulterior motive in the factual report given to the Governor and the Government of India.
Subsequent to the murder of the Whistleblower Sri Satyendra Dubey Government of India had asked all Chief Secretaries in the country to set up a standing committee to protect honest officers from harassment as there are no such forums . In last 18 months period Vijaykumar wrote many letters to the Chief Secretary to constitute such a committee and refer his case of harassment to it. But to make sure that Vijayakumar does not get any help, that Committee has not been constituted even today. I had given a representation to the Governor in May 2007 on this issue and other issues related to corruption. In turn the Governor had sent a letter to the Secretary, DPAR in June 2007 but the Secretary has not taken any action till today to continue to harm my husband. Sri Eswarappa, the then Minister after coming to know the difficulties faced by my husband because of threats to his life in Belgaum had directed this same Secretary to transfer him. The concerned Department had sent 10 reminders to this Secretary to implement that direction. But the Secretary again with evil intention ignored these also. I have filed complaint with the Lokayukta against this Secretary for ignoring the directions of the Governor and the Minister with bad intentions

As a leading Newspaper had reported, Sri Kumaraswamy ,the then Chief Minister had directed the concerned to give posting to Vijayakumar where he feels safe. But the Secretary, DPAR along with other evil, corrupt IAS officers conspired to facilitate his murder by posting him to Belgaum. In November 2007, I had requested the Governor to refer this to the CBI. In spite of threats and attempts on his life, Vijayakumar in consultation with farmers took many decisions to help farmers and curb corruption in January 2008, but all his decisions have been stayed. At this point it became clear that his continuation in Belgaum has been done with the sole purpose to murder him as his continuation did not help either the farmers or Vijayakumar who had survived two attempts.

The official residence meant for the Administrator, CADA has been leased out to a private trust. After attempts on his life in the IB, he stayed in his office itself for some time. Even while staying in the office under police protection, he had to be admitted in an unconscious state to the hospital. He had requested for a Government accommodation as hiring a rented building would create problems not only to him but also to the neighbors. But the evil design to murder my husband becomes clear from the direction given to Deputy Commissioner, Belgaum to find some accommodation any where in Belgaum district as it increases risks and also makes it difficult to work. Vijayakumar started maintaining a confidential personal diary after the first attempt on his life. The diary contained sensitive issues. The diary was supposed to have been made public only after his murder! He was sending daily a copy of this diary, to his superior officer. But that superior officer kept on giving the confidential diary to the very corrupt officers who were harassing and plotting to murder him for the last 18 months. I have documentary evidence in this regard. He has been continued in Belgaum in spite of having knowledge about threats only with the intention of killing him.

Under these circumstances, on 14/2/08 I had sought appointment to discuss these issues. I had sent many reminders regarding this till 3/4/08. I had also informed that I would accompany my husband to Delhi on 28/3/08 in connection with the Shanmugam Manjunath Trust Integrity Award. A drama was played to show that I was given appointment on the same day. After the lapse of 50 days after making request for a two minute time with the Chief Secretary, when I did not get the appointment, I realized that I have to save my husband immediately. It is then that I made the request to the Governor to keep my husband under suspension on some ground.

In our country it is difficult to get justice approaching Courts while fighting against the cruel, powerful and corrupt people. I am under the impression that if I make this information available to public through the media, the gang of cruel, corrupt IAS officers may reduce the harassment. Even though it is common to be troubled when fighting the corrupt, it has become inevitable to get public support against these mafia type behavior of cruel , corrupt IAS officers. In spite of all these dangers, if Vijayakumar survives and continues his fight against corruption, it is sure to motivate the few honest officers who keeping quiet as they are afraid to come out. To prevent this from happening, these evil, corrupt IAS officers prevented him from even attending the Shanmugam Manjunath Trust Integrity Award function let alone participating in it. They have dishonored the trust set up in memory of the murdered Manjunath who was from Karnataka. I am also releasing a letter sent by me to the President to prevent recurrence of such an incident. Karnataka was fourth most corrupt state a few years back. It should not surprise anyone , if Karnataka has become the number one corrupt state in the country during the Governor’s Rule. For more details visit http://fightcorruption.wikidot.com

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