K’taka Lokayukta raids premises of officials in B’luru, Dharwad, Shivamogga, Raichur in DA case
Bengaluru: The Karnataka Lokayukta carried out simultaneous raids early on Wednesday at multiple locations linked to government officials in Bengaluru, Dharwad, Shivamogga and Raichur as part of investigations into allegations of amassing assets disproportionate (DA) to their known sources of income.
In Bengaluru South district, Lokayukta officials raided the residence, office and properties linked to the Kumbalagodu Panchayat Development Officer (PDO). The operation was led by the Bengaluru South District Lokayukta Superintendent of Police, Sneha.
Searches were conducted at three locations in Belagavadi village of Magadi taluk, including the farmhouse, his brother’s residence and his nephew’s house.
Simultaneously, raids were also carried out at four other locations in Bengaluru, with officials scrutinising documents and other records.
In another operation, the Lokayukta raided properties linked to the Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) of Shivamogga. Searches are underway at his office in Shivamogga and residence in Dharwad.
Officials also searched his luxury house in the Doddanayakanakoppa locality of Dharwad. The ACF is said to own a farmhouse on Alnavar Road and a factory in the industrial area, both of which were also searched. The residence of his brother-in-law was among the locations covered during the operation.
The raids were led by Shivamogga Lokayukta Inspector Veerabasappa Kushalapura and Dharwad Lokayukta Superintendent of Police Siddalingappa. Searches are continuing at all the identified properties.
Meanwhile, in Raichur district, Lokayukta officials conducted raids on the premises of a KBJNL Executive Engineer (EE). Searches are being carried out at his office, residence in Chikkahonnakuni village of Devadurga taluk, and the houses of his relatives.
Further details are awaited as the searches continue.
It can be recalled that the Lokayukta police on Tuesday (July 7) searched seven places in Bengaluru belonging to three government officials in connection with two criminal misconduct cases under the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act.
Conducted based on court warrants, the searches targeted M.K. Jagadish, Special Deputy Commissioner, Bengaluru; B.R. Manjunath, Tahsildar; and Rajanikanth, Shirastedar, over criminal misconduct allegations while discharging their official duties.
According to the Lokayukta Police, the officials allegedly wrongfully allotted more than 13 acres of government land at Hunasamaranahalli, off the airport road, to private individuals, causing loss to the exchequer. Before registering the case, the Lokayukta Police obtained permission from the state government under Section 17A of the PC Act.