Karnataka Lokayukta conducts raids across four districts in disproportionate assets case
Bengaluru: The Karnataka Lokayukta is conducting raids at multiple locations across four districts of the state on Tuesday, targeting government officials allegedly involved in amassing wealth disproportionate to their known sources of income.
According to sources, the raids are underway in the districts of Hassan, Chikkaballapura, Chitradurga, and Bengaluru Urban.
Properties belonging to the Executive Engineer of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in Hassan, a Junior Engineer with the Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Department in Chikkaballapura, and a Taluk Health Officer in Hiriyur town of Chitradurga district are being searched.
Raids are also being carried out on the properties of a Revenue Officer attached to the Dasarahalli Sub-Division of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and a Senior Assistant Director of Horticulture posted at the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) Head Office.
The raids began simultaneously early this morning.
An official statement from the Karnataka Lokayukta is awaited.
On July 23, the Lokayukta sleuths conducted raids and search operations at the places linked to a senior Karnataka IAS officer, who was found to be possessing over Rs 9 crore of assets disproportionate to her income. The officials had searched five properties belonging to the IAS officer and found that she owned three sites, four houses, three acres of agricultural land, approximately valued at Rs 7.40 crore.
The searches also found Rs 66,390 in cash, Rs 12 lakh worth of ornaments, Rs 90 lakh worth of vehicles and Rs 65 lakh worth of other household articles.
The Karnataka Lokayukta on June 24 conducted search operations at 45 locations across the state in connection with disproportionate asset complaints against eight government officers. Assets worth Rs 34.90 crore were reportedly unearthed during the raids.
On May 31, the Karnataka Lokayukta conducted simultaneous raids across seven districts in the state, at the residences and properties of several government officials.
The Lokayukta on May 15 raided over 35 locations linked to seven government officers in Bengaluru city, Bengaluru Rural, Tumakuru, Mangaluru, Vijayapura, and Yadgir districts, uncovering disproportionate assets worth Rs 22.7 crore.
On January 31, the Lokayukta had conducted raids in Bengaluru, Belagavi, Chitradurga, Raichur, and Bagalkot districts in connection with seven cases involving officials accused of accumulating illegal assets.