Lokayukta police raid house of Siruguppa BJP MLA

Residences of legislators aides were not spared too

The Lokayukta police simultaneously raided the house of BJP MLA from Siruguppa, M S Somalingappa and the residences of his aides in the wee hours of Thursday.

The MLA’s house at Tekkalakote in Siruguppa taluk of Bellary district (which is in the name of his wife, Sharada), the house of his personal secretary, Sriram Basha, the residences of K Nenikeppa, the MLA’s follower, T C Mohan Kumar, former member of the Ashraya committee of the Siruguppa Town Municipal Council and Ashok Kumar Jain, former TMC member were raided.

The team also raided the residence of H B Gangappa, member of the Taluk Land Tribunal and M Marappa, brother of Somalingappa’s wife.

The raids came in the wake of investigation being conducted by Bangalore urban Lokayukta police, after a private complaint alleging possession of disproportionate assets was referred to them by Special Lokayukta Court and an FIR was registered by the police on March 5.

Bail plea filed

Somalingappa has already filed an anticipatory bail application in the Special Lokayukta Court and the Court is presently hearing the matter.

A team of 40 officials mostly from Bangalore and Tumkur raided these premises. Somalingappa’s palatial house in Tekkalakote village yielded Rs nine lakh in cash, small amounts of gold and silver and documents.

In yet another instance showing that the accused was prepared for the raids, the house seemed to have been cleared of all items.

It is learnt that even the amount of clothing stored in the house was just five sets per person.

The only rich haul seems to have come from the house of M Marappa, the brother of Somalingappa’s wife Sharada. Documents for lands worth Rs 1.93 crore were found in addition to two vehicles costing Rs 20 lakh.

Estimates of properties found at some of the other places have still not been calculated.

Somalingappa, speaking to reporters at his residence later, claimed innocence and said there was no basis to the allegation that he had amassed wealth disproportionate to his income.
Plaint by retired lecturer

The private complaint filed by B Eranna, a retired Pre-University lecturer stated that
Somalingappa, in his declarations before the Lokayukta from 2004 to March 2011 and in the affidavits  filed along with his nomination papers in 2004 and 2008, declared assets amounting to Rs 76.99 lakh, while his income in the same declaration was Rs 13.30 lakh.

The complaint also claimed that one particular property in Siruguppa has been undervalued at Rs nine lakh, while the market value is actually Rs 45 lakh.