Lokayukta police raid seven officials, unearth Rs 7.5 cr assets

The Lokayukta police on Thursday conducted raids on 21 premises belonging to seven government officials in Bangalore, Bagalkot, Bijapur, Bidar, Chitradurga, Hassan and Gulbarga.

They carried out simultaneous raids on offices and properties of the officials and unearthed assets worth Rs 7.50 crore owned by them. Additional Director General of Police (Lokayukta) H N Sathyanarayana Rao said bank accounts of the officials were still being scrutinised and searches may be continued on Friday.

During raids on Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) development officer H V Omkaramurthy’s premises, officials discovered immovable properties worth Rs 84 lakh which includes sites in Laggere, Chikkalasandra and Nelamangala in Bangalore, industrial plots in Mysore and Hassan KIADB area. He also has two sites in Shimoga, seven acres of agricultural land in Tarikere in Chikamaglur district. Cash, gold, silver, vehicles and other household articles worth Rs 37 lakh were found.

The Lokayukta police raided Balappa Byrappa Athani, personal assistant to Information Technology minister S R Patil. Balappa holds the post of Head Accountant in District Treasury in Bagalkot. His immovable property is said to be worth Rs 1.2 crore and, comprises 20 acres of agricultural land, six residential plots both in his and his wife's name, a duplex house. His movable property is said to be worth Rs 1.5 crore.

Another official who was raided was Project Director of Nirmiti Kendra in Bijapur, Gopinathasa Nagendra Malaji. He owns Rs 1.6 crore worth of  houses and sites in Bijapur and Bagalkot. Vehicles, furniture and household articles worth Rs 45 lakh were also found, the Lokayukta police said.

Deputy Commissioner of Excise in Bidar, S S Savalgi has houses, plots and commercial buildings in Bidar and Andhra Pradesh, all worth Rs 1.29 crore in addition to 151 gram gold, 371 gram silver and cash, valued at Rs 1.35 crore.

Sevya Naik, an executive engineer in Upper Bhadra Project in Chitradurga has Rs 95 lakh worth of residential plots, a house and agricultural lands in his name and also in the names of his wife and mother.

Siddanna Patil, a junior health assistant in Chincholi in Gulbarga was found to own a couple of wine shops and sites worth Rs 1.11 crore. T Mallanna, executive engineer of Karnataka Housing Board in Gulbarga, owns Rs 55 lakh worth houses, plots and wine shop. He also has a SUV, cash, 600 grams of gold and 1.25 kg of silver, officials said.