This KSRP cop is a millionaire

Lokayukta raids eight officials, unearths assets worth Rs 7.5 crore

A raid by the Lokayukta police on Wednesday revealed that a police head constable, who was a gunman to former Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde, possessed assets worth Rs 55.25 lakh, disproportionate to his income.

The Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) head constable Channabasavaiah now works as gunman to another former Lokayukta Justice Shivaraj Patil. Channabasavaiah was deputed to the Lokayukta in 2006 and he worked as a gunman to Hegde, till the end of his tenure as the Lokayukta. He continued as gunman to Patil who succeeded Hegde. He continued with Patil even after he quit as the Lokayukta in September 2011.

The Lokayukta police recovered Rs 1.24 lakh in cash, 2.34 kg silver and 171 gram of gold from Channabasavaiah. Documents pertaining to seven sites were also seized from his house.

“While the documents suggest that five sites are located in Ramohalli, his current address, the other two are in Mandya and Tumkur,” said Additional Director General of Police (Lokayukta) HNS Rao.

According to the Lokayukta police, the complaint against Channabasavaiah was received from outside their own office, and subsequently information was collected. “We are yet to investigate as to when he acquired these assets, whether it was during his posting in the Lokayukta or earlier,” Rao said.

Meanwhile, the Lokayukta police on Wednesday raided eight other government officials in different parts of the State. The officials are S K Paramesh, Director (Technical) Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC); Gopal R, Director, Archaeological Department, Mysore; B Guruprasad, Chief Engineer, Karnataka Housing Board, M Nagaraju, Executive Engineer, Public Works Department, Vincent Rosario, Shirestedar, taluk office, Kadur, T K Lakshmi Narayan Reddy, Food Shirestedar, taluk office, Tumkur and Keerthi Kumar, Secretary, VSSN, Hassan.

The Lokayukta police had trapped M Nagaraju in 2004 for allegedly accepting bribe. But he was acquitted, said Rao.

More than 40 Lokayukta officers of various ranks were involved in the simultaneous raids conducted at 25 places in seven districts. The raids which began at 6 am, continued till night.

In all, the Lokayukta police seized assets worth Rs 7.5 crore in seven cases. The Lokayukta police, late Wednesday evening, apprehended S K Paramesh, who was on leave, and in Chennai. His assets are still being scrutinised.