Corporates, NGOs must under Jan Lok Pal: Hegde

Former Karnataka Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde today suggested that corporates and NGOs should also be brought under the purview of the Jan Lok Pal Bill.

"They should be incorporated. I am for it," he told reporters when asked about corporates and NGOs not being under the ambit of the Bill drafted by Team Anna, adding he would suggest for bring them under the ombudsman.

Describing himself as a freelancer now, the former Supreme Court judge said the Bill was "very strong", but not "monstrous" as was being projected. It was deliberately being projected as "not answerable" to anyone.

Pointing out that the corruption watchdog is answerable to the Supreme Court at every level, he said every decision can be challenged before the court.

He hoped that the Bill would be tabled in the Winter session of Parliament. "The institution called Lok Pal will be constituted. It would not have been constituted if not for Anna Hazare," he said.

There are enough laws in the country to tackle corruption but they were not being implemented. There was misapprehension among people that the Prime Minister does not come under the Prevention of Corruption Act and every public servant can be probed by investigating agencies, he said.

As far as the prime minister is concerned, the CBI or the Delhi Police should take up investigation, but they are not doing it, he said.

In the case of judiciary, permission has to be taken from the Chief Justice of India to launch a probe against a sitting judge.