Karnataka deputy Lokayukta quits

BANGALORE: Karnataka Upa Lokayukta (deputy ombudsman) R. Gururajan quit late Wednesday citing "personal reasons", an official said. The resignation comes three weeks after Lokayukta Shivaraj Patil stepped down.Gururajan submitted his resignation letter to Governor H.R. Bhardwaj, a Lokayukta spokesperson said."Justice Gururajan has submitted his resignation to the Governor. He is resigning for personal reasons," the spokesperson told IANS.The resignation of Gururajan, a former judge of the Karnataka High Court, comes about three weeks after Lokayukta Shivaraj Patil resigned following a row over acquiring two house sites in Bangalore from two housing societies allegedly in violation of rules.Patil and Gururajan took office Aug 3. Patil, a retired judge of the Supreme Court resigned Sep 19.With the resignation of Gururajan the state now has one Upa Lokayukta in S. B. Majage, a retired judge of the Karnataka High Court.The Bharatiya Janata Party government of Chief Minister D. V. Sadananda Gowda will now have to look for two retired judges to fill the posts.Only retired Supreme Court judge or retired high court chief justice can be appointed Lokayukta. Upa Lokayukta can be a retired high court judge.Gowda has said the process to select a successor to Patil was on but "will take some time as it is a sensitive matter."Bhardwaj has indicated he prefers a retired Supreme Court judge as the new Lokayukta.