BMTF inspector arrested after raid reveals '257% of ill-gotten wealth'

The Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday arrested Victor Simon, a police inspector in the Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force (BMTF), a day after raiding him in a case of ill-gotten wealth.

Simon was among nine government officials raided by the anti-corruption watchdog on Tuesday. ACB officials raided his house in Kasavanahalli, Southeast Bengaluru, his office and the residence of his father-in-law in Mysuru.

At the end of the raid, officials discovered that Simon owns a flat in National Games Village, Koramangala, a house, two sites and an acre of farmland in Mysuru. The sleuths also found a bond paper worth Rs 1 crore, 500 grams of gold jewellery in bank lockers, Rs 7.26 lakh in cash at his Kasavanahalli residence, 22.36 litres of liquor, a car and Rs 21 lakh worth of household articles.

Documents pertaining to overseas trips undertaken by him and his family were also found. In all, the assets are a whopping 257.46% of his known sources of income.

The decision to arrest Simon was taken after he reportedly refused to cooperate with ACB officials during the raid. He had only one answer to all questions: “I don’t know anything.”

Taking note of the matter, ACB Superintendent of Police Kuldeep Kumar Jain ordered Simon’s arrest. The ACB produced him before a court and took him in its custody until March 13.

“We have many questions about the valuables found in his house,” a senior ACB officer said. “We’ll question him about everything.”

The ACB, however, chose not to arrest K Subramanyam, Assistant Director, Town Planning, Yelahanka Zone, BBMP, whose Sahakaranagar residence and Yelahanka office it had raided. He and the seven other officials cooperated during the raid, the officer said.

“We have issued them notices, asking them to appear before the investigating officer for further investigation. We hope that they will cooperate or else we’ll arrest them if necessary,” the officer added.