Bengaluru: The former Karnataka Lokayukta, Y. Bhaskar Rao, has been charge-sheeted as an accused in a corruption case and booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

Mr. Rao is the first former Lokayukta in the country to be charge-sheeted in a corruption case.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which probes the 2015 bribery scandal in the Lokayukta’s office, on Wednesday filed a 500-page supplementary charge sheet in one of the five cases related to the scandal. It listed Mr. Rao as the seventh accused.

His son Y. Ashwin is the prime accused in the case. He allegedly ran an “extortion racket” in which several government officials were threatened with cases if they did not pay up.

The case came to light after M.N. Krishnamurthy, a Public Works Department Engineer, lodged a complaint with the Lokayukta police in May 2015.

Mr. Rao has been charged with abetting illegal gratification to influence a public servant, concealing evidence and being part of a criminal conspiracy to cover up and protect the offenders. He resigned from office in December 2015 only after a motion to remove him was moved in the State legislature. And recently the Governor had granted permission to the SIT to prosecute him. The SIT is now likely to seek the Governor’s permission to proceed against Mr. Rao in four other cases.

The Special Lokayukta Court is yet to take cognisance of the supplementary charge sheet and frame charges against Mr. Rao. Once the court frames charges, it will summon Mr. Rao.

Sources in the SIT were not sure whether Mr. Rao was in India and said the court would decide whether he would be sent to judicial custody or be granted bail.

Meanwhile, the post of Loakyukta has remained vacant as the Governor had rejected the name of S.R. Nayak proposed by the State government. The government is yet to finalise another candidate.