Karnataka minister quits

Karnataka Higher Education Minister B Somasekhar, against whom a judicial inquiry has been ordered following allegations that he copied in law examinations, has resigned.

Confirming the resignation, Chief Minister J H Patel told the media in Bangalore on Tuesday night that he had sought legal opinion on whether to accept the resignation or not.

The chief minister said that Somasekhar had told him that he had not copied in the examinations.

While one report given by the Bangalore University vice-chancellor confirmed the charge, the other submitted by the education secretary had cleared the minister of the allegation. The probe would decide which of the two is true, the chief minister said.

The chief minister ordered the judicial inquiry on Monday after assembly Speaker Ramesh Kumar declined to constitute a house committee to go into the issue.

However, council Chairman D B Kalmankar had constituted a five-member committee to go into the issue and submit a report on whether the minister had copied while studying law in the city in 1978. The house in an unprecedented decision had requested him to go through the records and give his opinion.

UNI