Chapter VI JURISDICTION INRESPECT OF INQUIRY

1. (1) Subject to the other provisions of this Act, the Lokayukta shall inquire or cause an inquiry to be conducted into any matter involved in, or arising from, or connected with, any allegation of corruption made in a complaint in respect of the following, namely:-
   • (a) any person who is or has been a Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister;
   • (b) any person who is or has been a Speaker and Deputy Speaker;
   • (c) any other person who is or has been a Minister, Minister of the State, Parliamentary Secretary, Deputy Minister, Leader of Opposition, Government Chief Whip and Opposition Chief Whip and such other function of the State Legislative Assembly and Chairman, Co-Chairman, Vice-Chairman or Deputy Chairman appointed by Government or authority under Government;
   • (d) any person who is or has been a Member of the State Legislature;
   • (e) all officers and employees of the State, from amongst the public servants defined in sub-clauses
     • (i) and
     • (ii) of clause
   • (c) of section 2 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 when serving or who has served, in connection with the affairs of the State;
   • (f) any person who is or has been a Chairperson or Member or officer or employee in any body or Board or corporation or authority or company or society or trust or autonomous body or District Council (by whatever name called) established by an Act of Parliament or of a State Legislature or wholly or partly financed by the State Government or controlled by it;
   • (g) any person who is or has been a director, manager, secretary or other officer of every other society or association of persons or trust (whether registered under any law for the time being in force or not), by whatever name called, wholly or partly financed or aided by the State Government and the annual income of which exceeds such amount as the State Government may, by notification, specify; and
   • (h) any person who is or has been a director, manager, secretary or other officer of every other society or association of persons or trust (whether registered under any law for the time being in force or not), by whatever name called, in receipt of any donation from any foreign source under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 in excess of ten lakh rupees in a year or such higher amount as the State Government may, by notification, specify. Explanation.—For the purpose of clauses
   • (g) and (h), it is hereby clarified that any entity or institution, by whatever name called, corporate, society, trust, association of persons, partnership, sole proprietorship, limited liability partnership (whether registered under any law for the time being in force or not), shall be the entities covered in those clauses: Provided that any person referred to in this clause shall be deemed to be a public servant under clause
   • (c) of section 2 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and the provisions of that Act shall apply accordingly.
2. (2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), the Lokayukta shall not inquire into any matter involved in, or arising from, or connected with, any such allegation of corruption against any Member of the State Legislature in respect of anything said or a vote given by him in the State Legislature or any committee thereof covered under the provisions contained in clause
3. (2) of article 194 of the Constitution.
4. (3) The Lokayukta may inquire into any act or conduct of any person other than those referred to in sub-section (1), if such person is involved in the act of abetting, bribe giving or bribe taking or conspiracy relating to any allegation of corruption under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 against a person referred to in sub-section (1): Provided that, no action under this section shall be taken in case of a person serving in connection with the affairs of the Union, without the consent of the Central Government.
5. (4) No matter in respect of which a complaint has been made to the Lokayukta under this Act shall be referred for inquiry under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952. Explanation.—For the removal of doubts, it is hereby declared that a complaint under this Act shall only relate to a period during which the public servant was holding or serving in that capacity.

In case any matter or proceeding related to allegation of corruption under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 has been pending before any court or committee of the State Legislature or before any other authority prior to commencement of this Act or prior to commencement of any inquiry after the commencement of this Act, such matter or proceeding shall be continued before such court, committee or authority.

1. (1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, —
   • (a) the jurisdiction of the Lokayukta may be exercised by benches thereof;
   • (b) a bench may be constituted by the Chairperson with two or more Members as the Chairperson may deem fit;
   • (c) every bench shall ordinarily consist of at least one Judicial Member;
   • (d) where a bench consists of the Chairperson, such bench shall be presided over by the Chairperson;
   • (e) where a bench consists of a Judicial Member, and a non-Judicial Member, not being the Chairperson, such bench shall be presided over by the Judicial Member;
   • (f) the benches of the Lokayukta shall ordinarily sit at Capital of the State and at such other places as the Lokayukta may, by regulations, specify.
2. (2) The Lokayukta shall notify the areas in relation to which each bench of the Lokayukta may exercise jurisdiction.
3. (3) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (2), the Chairperson shall have the power to constitute or reconstitute benches from time to time.
4. (4) If at any stage of the hearing of any case or matter it appears to the Chairperson or a Member that the case or matter is of such nature that it ought to be heard by a bench consisting of three or more Members, the case or matter may be transferred by the Chairperson or, as the case may be, referred to him for transfer, to such bench as the Chairperson may deem fit.

Where benches are constituted, the Chairperson may, from time to time, by notification, make provisions as to the distribution of the business of the Lokayukta amongst the benches and also provide for the matters which may be dealt with by each bench.

On an application for transfer made by the complainant or the public servant, the Chairperson, after giving an opportunity of being heard to the complainant or the public servant, as the case may be, may transfer any case pending before one bench for disposal to any other bench.

If the Members of a bench consisting of an even number of Members differ in opinion on any point, they shall state the point or points on which they differ, and make a reference to the Chairperson who shall either hear the point or points himself or refer the case for hearing on such point or points by one or more of the other Members of the Lokayukta and such point or points shall be decided according to the opinion of the majority of the Members of the Lokayukta who have heard the case, including those who first heard it.