Lokayukta court summons Balakrishna Gowda

The Special Lokayukta Court on Monday issued summons to H D Balakrishna Gowda, son of JD(S) supreme H D Deve Gowda, to appear on September 10 in a case pertaining to amassing of wealth disproportionate to known sources of income.

Judge N K Sudhindra Rao took cognisance of the offences under Prevention of Corruption Act, after the Lokayukta police submitted a charge sheet, stating that he had accumulated disproportionate assets to the tune of 43 per cent.

The police investigated the matter after the Court referred to it a private complaint filed by S N Balakrishna, a retired teacher, who claimed that Balakrishna had accumulated properties to the tune of several hundred crores of rupees, though his income did not exceed Rs 27 lakh during his years in service.

On August 7, the police submitted the charge sheet stating that the total income declared by Balakrishna was Rs 27 lakh from salary (Rs 24 lakh after tax deductions), but his income was Rs 12.64 crore from all sources, including rental, commercial and agricultural. The total income of his family was Rs 15.18 crore. The amount of disproportionate assets, according to the police, was Rs 5.24 crore. All the amounts pertain to only his years in service. Though the police have calculated the disproportionate assets only for his years in service, they have submitted documents pertaining to all the properties belonging to the family till today.

Interestingly, 80 per cent of the property owned by Balakrishna and his family was acquired between 2005 and 2007. In fact, 14 properties were purchased by Kavita Balakrishna between May and December of 2005, immediately after Balakrishna’s retirement.

The Lokayukta police submitted that the estimate of assets before and after he retired from service, which they have discovered, could be put at Rs 75 crore. An additional report was filed about assets obtained after Balakrishna retired.