Bengaluru: The Karnataka police, representing the Special Investigation Team(SIT) told the Supreme Court on Friday that the former Lokayukta Y Bhaskar Rao has been asked to join the probe into the extortion racket reportedly run by his son and some officials in the Lokayukta office.
Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, along with advocate Joseph Aristotle, informed the court that the The Lokayukta, who demitted office in December, has been called for to join the probe and they also urged the court not to grant bail to the accused.

Acceding to their plea, a bench of Justices P C Ghose and Amitava Roy once again refused to grant bail to the accused — Syed Riyazullah, a former Public Relations Officer of the Karnataka Lokayukta, television journalist M B Srinivasa Gowda and two others Shankare Gowda and Ashok Kumar.

The SIT has been directed to conclude the probe within six weeks and other formalities in two more weeks. It fixed the matter for consideration after 10 weeks. The SIT also submitted a status report in a sealed cover on the investigation.

Five cases were registered by the SIT and arrested 11 people, including the prime accused Ashwin, son of former Lokayukta Y Bhaskar Rao. Justice Rao, who was appointed the Lokayukta in February 2013, resigned on December 8, 2015, following growing clamour for his removal over the extortion racket.