N. Santosh Hegde: Difference between revisions

After completing apprenticeship training, Hegde enrolled as an advocate in January 1966 and was designated as senior advocate in May 1984. He was appointed as the [[Advocate General]] for the state of Karnataka in February 1984 and held that position till August 1988. He worked as additional [[Solicitor General of India|Solicitor General]] of the union of India from December 1989 to November 1990 and was re-appointed as the Solicitor General of India on 25-04-1998. Nitte Santosh Hegde was appointed as a judge of Supreme Court of India on 08-01-1999. He retired as judge of [[Supreme Court of India]] in June 2005. He was conferred honorary doctorate of law degree by [[Mangalore University]] in 2005.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.hindu.com/2006/02/11/stories/2006021116100300.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091008003601/http://www.hindu.com/2006/02/11/stories/2006021116100300.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2009-10-08 |title=Honorary doctorate for Santosh Hegde|accessdate= 2009-09-07 |work=[[The Hindu]] |location=Chennai, India |date=2006-02-11}}</ref> For a brief period he worked as Chairperson of Telecom Dispute Settlement Appellate Tribunal, New Delhi. Hegde was of the view that Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) was not the authority for dispute resolution between customers and telecommunication service providers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://voicendata.ciol.com/content/150issue/106120734.asp|title=Justice Santosh Hegde|accessdate=2009-09-07|publisher=Voice&Data|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100516151953/http://voicendata.ciol.com/content/150issue/106120734.asp|archivedate=16 May 2010}}</ref> He was appointed as Lokayukta of Karnataka state on 3 August 2006 for a term of five years.

The Lok Ayukta had exposed major irregularities in mines in Bellary, including those owned by [[Obulapuram Mining Company]] and by [[G. Karunakara Reddy]], [[G. Janardhana Reddy]] and [[G. Somashekara Reddy]] who were ministers in the [[Government of Karnataka]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Reddys-have-the-last-laugh-national-mines-regulator-has-both-hands-tied/592902/|title=Reddys have the last laugh, national mines regulator has both hands tied|accessdate=2010-06-24|work=[[The Indian Express]]|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121093722/http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Reddys-have-the-last-laugh-national-mines-regulator-has-both-hands-tied/592902/|archivedate=21 January 2012}}</ref> He has expressed concern about [[illegal mining in India|illegal mining]] taking place in state of Karnataka which have deep repercussions for ecology and to exchequer of state.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.hindu.com/2009/07/14/stories/2009071461270100.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090717100950/http://www.hindu.com/2009/07/14/stories/2009071461270100.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2009-07-17 |title=Illegal mining: Lokayukta slams Government|accessdate= 2009-09-07 |work=[[The Hindu]] |location=Chennai, India |date=2009-07-14}}</ref> A report constituted by the Lok Ayukta uncovered major violations and [[systemic corruption]] in iron-ore mining in Bellary. There were violations in the allowed geography, encroachment of forest land, massive underpayment of state mining royalties relative to the market price of iron ore and systematic starvation of government mining entities. The damage to public interest was so serious that he recommended banning all exports of iron ore and limiting iron ore production for captive production of iron and steel<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tehelka.com/story_main44.asp?filename=Ne030410mining_lease.asp|title=Santosh Hegde Interview: 'Mining Lease Is Used As James Bond’s Gun'|work=Tehelka|access-date=30 June 2010|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120911193605/http://www.tehelka.com/story_main44.asp?filename=Ne030410mining_lease.asp|archive-date=11 September 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tehelka.com/story_main44.asp?filename=Ne030410MiningLease_fullINT.asp|title=Santosh Hegde Full Interview: 'Mining Lease Is Used As James Bond’s Gun'|work=Tehelka|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120919080810/http://www.tehelka.com/story_main44.asp?filename=Ne030410MiningLease_fullINT.asp|archivedate=19 September 2012}}</ref>

* He was alleged to have pressured Chief Minister of Karnataka to remove then [[Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike]] (BBMP) commissioner S. Subramanya.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.deccanchronicle.com/node/38520/print |title= Under fire BBMP chief edged out|accessdate= 2009-09-07 |work=[[Deccan Chronicle]]}}</ref> Subramanya was heading the BBMP which was held responsible for bad maintenance of Bangalore, including drowning accidents during monsoon.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore/Subramanya-shunted-out-of-BBMP/articleshow/4647054.cms |title= Subramanya shunted out of BBMP|accessdate= 2010-06-30 |work=[[The Times of India]]|date=2009-06-12}}</ref>