ORDER :

These petitions have been filed by petitioners/accused persons challenging the orders passed in Spl.C.C.Nos.189/2013, 56/2015, 68/2007, 67/2007, 32/2015, 189/2013 and 623/2017 dated 19.3.2019, 3.8.2019, 18.3.2019, 18.3.2019, 18.3.2019, 19.3.2019 and 10.5.2019 respectively, by the Courts below on the application for discharge.

2. Since the point of law involved in all these cases is one and the same, though they are not arising out of the common order, in order to avoid repetition of law and facts, they have been clubbed together and disposed of by virtue of a common order.

3. I have heard Sri.Kiran.S.Javali, Sri.Chandrashekara.K., Sri.Mohammed Mujassim, learned counsel for the petitioners and Sri.Venkatesh.S.Arabatti and Sri.P.Prasanna Kumar, Special Public Prosecutor and Standing Counsel for respondents-Lokayuktha and CBI respectively.

4. All these cases have been registered by Lokayuktha/CBI/ACB under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (hereinafter referred to as “PC Act” for short) under Section 13(1)(c)(d) and (e) of the PC Act and after investigation, charge sheet has been filed. In some of the cases, as accused have been retired from their services, since sanction was