CBI raids properties of S M Krishna's ex-secretary

The officer, who belongs to the 2000 batch of UP cadre, but hails from Karnataka, is presently posted in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in Delhi. For a brief period, she also worked as private secretary to External Affairs Minister S M Krishna.
Dhanalakshmi Gowda is alleged to have acquired huge assets, both immovable and movable, in her name as well as in the name of her mother (a housewife).

“Dhanalakshmi has been found in possession of disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 3.15 crore (approximately) which are beyond her known sources of income. Most of these assets have allegedly been acquired by her as benami properties in the name of her mother who abetted to acquire the assets in her name,” said Dharini Mishra, CBI spokesperson.
The searches were conducted at four places in Delhi and Bangalore at the residential and official premises of the accused.

Asked about the probable arrest of the officer, a senior official of agency told Deccan Herald that “the investigation is on, we have collected some papers for the places, where searches were conducted, if anything incriminating will be established then we will take next step accordingly”. Earlier, the name of Dhanalakshmi Gowda also surfaced in the alleged land scam in Tronica city project in the Ghaziabad town of Uttar Pradesh adjoining Delhi, where valuable land was allotted at throwaway prices, the agency said.

“Her mother stays in Bangalore and searches were carried out at her residence in this connection as well,” said a CBI official.

MEA spokesperson Vishnu Prakash said: “It is understood that the CBI conducted some investigations yesterday (Friday), in the apartment of K Dhanalakshmi, an IAS officer of UP cadre, who is presently serving in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.