JOIN USThe Lokayukta police raided the residences and offices of Khanapur BJP MLA Prahlad Remani at Khanapur town and Zhad Navage villages in the taluk, besides the stone quarries owned by his son and houses of his relatives early on Wednesday.
It is alleged that the legislator had amassed more wealth than his known sources of income.
Save India Mission founder president Jayant Tinaikar had filed a complaint with the Lokayukta police last weekend, demanding an inquiry into the huge wealth amassed by Remani.
Five teams led by Lokayukta Superintendent of Police C A Balamkar seized documents from the residences and offices of the legislator. Details of businesses and commercial organisations linked to Remani were collected by the Lokayukta sleuths.
Balamkar told Deccan Herald that during the raid, they found documents pertaining to 21 acres of agriculture lands in four villages in the names of the Remani family members (valued at Rs 42.5 lakh), two stone crusher units, a Mahendra Bolero vehicle, a Toyota Innova vehicle, a Tata Indigo car and a BDA site measuring 50x80 ft at HSR Layout in Bangalore. Investigations are in progress.
Remani told reporters that he owned 44 acres of ancestral land.
“I practice politics of principle. I and my family members have not acquired illegal properties. The stone crushers had bank loans of Rs 75 lakh and the one site in Bangalore has been sanctioned by the government. I and my family are cooperating with the Lokayukta sleuths in the investigations and we will come out clean,” he stated.
In Srinivaspur and Bangalore, the Lokayukta police raided four locations, including the premises of M Srinivas, the president of the Srinivaspur APMC and his wife Dr S Chandrakala, who works as a gynaecologist at the government hospital in Srinivaspur. As per initial estimates, the total value of the assets seized by the Lokayukta police is over Rs 1.16 crore.
The properties include an house in Ramamurthynagar in Bangalore, which is valued at Rs 23 lakh, 1.275 kg of silver and 135 gram of gold. The Lokayukta has also seized a tractor and trailer worth Rs 4 lakh and a Toyota Innova vehicle worth Rs 15 lakh.
A private complaint had been lodged by Maruthi Reddy in the Lokayukta Court, alleging that the couple had amassed wealth disproportionate to their earnings, claimed to be worth over Rs 50 crore.
In both the cases, the Lokayukta police continued the raids late into the evening.