1 week Ago By TNM Staff
The Karnataka Cabinet has accepted the second interim report of the Justice John Michael D’Cunha Commission, which investigated large-scale irregularities in COVID-19-related purchases and expenditure during the BJP government’s tenure. The report, submitted to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on April 4, recommends the registration of 176 criminal cases and the recovery of Rs 128 crore from vendors and officials, out of a total Rs 275 crore spent across several districts. Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar confirmed the Cabinet’s acceptance of the report on Thursday, April 24, and said further action would follow.
“We have accepted the report and discussed what further steps need to be taken,” he told reporters after the meeting. According to a Deccan Herald report, a dedicated team of officers—similar to the one that examined the first interim report last year—will study the recommendations in detail. The Commission’s second report spans 1,808 pages and comprises seven volumes.
Four of these detail irregularities within the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits—specifically in the Bommanahalli, South, West, and Yelahanka zones—while the remaining volumes cover similar scams in Bengaluru Urban and Rural districts, as well as in Gadag and Koppal. According to the Commission, further investigations into the more serious cases may be handed over to the Lokayukta or other investigative agencies. The report also calls for criminal proceedings and departmental inquiries against officials and employees found guilty of financial misconduct and procedural violations.
The D’Cunha Commission, headed by retired judge Justice Michael D’Cunha, was constituted in August 2023 to probe allegations of corruption during the pandemic. Its first interim report, submitted on August 31, 2024, led to Cabinet approval for legal action in October of that year..
