Bengaluru: In a major operation unearthing disproportionate economic resources, the Lokayukta officials in the wee hours of Tuesday seized assets worth Rs 22 crore from eight government officials across the state.
The Lokayukta teams conducted raids at 37 locations in connection with these officials. This move came after complaints of disproportionate assets were filed at Lokayukta Police Stations in Belagavi, Haveri, Davanagere, Bidar, Mysuru, Ramanagara, and Dharwad.
Those raided include officials from multiple departments, including rural administrative officers, and senior officers, with searches carried out at residences, offices, and properties belonging to their kins.
Prakash V, a retired Divisional Mechanical Engineer with Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) in Ramanagara was caught with assets worthRs 4.26 crore. His seized properties included six houses, and six acre of agricultural land, expensive jewellery, eight land sites, and vehicles.
The house of Assistant Commissioner of Commercial Taxes, Venkatesh S Majumdar from Belagavi was raided and assets amounting to Rs 2.21 crore, including two houses, a gas storage godown, agricultural land, and valuable ornaments.
Assistant Director with the Commerce and Industrial Department in Davanagere, Kamal Raj, was found with assets valued at Rs 1.99 crore.
Cash Thrown Out Of Window: In one of the most hilarious incidents ever, while raiding four places linked to Kashinath Buddappa Bhajantri, Assistant Engineer, Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation, Hirekerur, officials were stunned to discover that the suspected government official threw wads of cash worth around Rs 9 lakh, out of the bathroom window. The amount was later recovered by the Lokayukta officials.
The others raided were Vittal Shivappa Dhavaleshwar, Village Administrative Officer, Revenue Department, Bore Gaon Village, (Rs 1.08 crore), Raveendra Kumar, Deputy Director (Deputy Tahsildar), Training Centre, (Rs 4.22 crore), Nagesh D, Public Relations Officer, Mysuru City Corporation (Rs 2.72 crore), and Govindappa Hanumanthappa Bhajantri, Assistant Secretary, KIADB, Lakkamanahalli (Rs 2.79 crore).
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