JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Tuesday dropped the names of two more senior IPS officers – Arun Chakravarthy, IGP, central range, and Sunil Agrawal, IGP, northern range – claiming that they were directly involved in the lottery scam and taking bribes to hush up the case.

Addressing reporters here on Tuesday, he also said that the son of an influential person in the corridors of power and a ruling party MLC close to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had recently demanded Rs 100 crore as bribe from the lottery mafia to allow it to operate without any hitch.

Though he claimed he had information on the involvement of all influential politicians in the racket, he did not divulge their names. He refused to disclose the names of the influential person or his son or the MLC who had demanded bribe.

He charged Sunil Agrawal with taking Rs 60 lakh as bribe when he was IGP, Lottery Squad, from one Martin, who used to operate illegal single-digit lottery along with Pari Rajan. The police have recently arrested Rajan in connection with the scam. Arun Chakravarthy, who was IGP, Lottery Squad, prior to Agrawal, had also taken bribe, he charged.

According to Kumaraswamy, 30 to 40 senior police officers, including many IPS officers, are involved in the scam.

Despite a TV channel conducting a sting operation in March this year, the government took no action for two months. During this period, the ruling party MLC took Pari Rajan and Matrin to the son of the influential person to strike a deal. When Martin and Rajan refused to pay Rs 100 crore, the scam gradually came out in the open, he said.

Paying hafta

The JD(S) leader said suspended police officer Dharanesh (who was then Superintendent of Police, Lottery Squad, southern range) and Pari Rajan had been paying hafta (bribe) to a minister in the Siddaramaiah ministry.

Dharanesh was recently suspended in connection with the lottery scam. The officer wanted to continue in the post. The then Superintendent of Police, Lottery Squad, northern range, Chandrakanth was trying to get the post held by Dharanesh, he said.
“The chief minister and Home Minister K J George should now disclose the name of the minister who was collecting the hafta. He should tell why Pari Rajan was not arrested all these days.”

Simmering differences

He said the scam emerged due to the simmering differences among the police officers in sharing the bribe money paid by the mafia. Two cases filed initially in KGF in connection with the illegal lottery sale were fake and they were only meant to cover up the scam, he added. Later speaking to the media after the chief minister’s decision to refer the scam to the CBI, Kumaraswamy said the government should get ready to face more embarrassment. However, he welcomed the decision to refer the racket to the CBI.

Scam chronicle, according to HDK

A constable in Kolar, Manjunath, was regularly taking bribe from Pari Rajan during June or July 2014.

Rajan stopped giving him money after he developed contacts among higher-ups.

Manjunath informs about illegal activities of Rajan to Singh, a head constable with anti-lottery squad.

Singh, brings the matter to the notice of Ramappa Guttedar, the inspector of the squad.

When questioned, Rajan he offers big money as bribe. Then he takes these policemen to Chennai where they meet one Martin, one of the key operators.

Martin gives Rs 40 lakh as bribe and the three policemen sincerely inform about it to lottery squad SP Dharanesh and IGP Arun Chakravarthy.

All the policemen share the money: Manjunath and Singh get Rs two lakh each, Ramappa gets Rs five lakh and the rest was shared by Dharanesh and Chakravarthy.

Upset with the small share they got, Manjunath and Singh inform about the illegality to northern range SP Chandrakanth.

Chandrakanth tries to get the post held by Dharanesh but fails.

He then helps a TV news channel to conduct a sting operation.


Six cases referred to CBI by Siddaramaiah government

Misappropriation of over Rs nine crore by the officials of Ramanagaram-Channapatna Urban Development Authority with the support of bank officials in 2013.

Misuse of over Rs five crore by the officials of Mandya Urban Development n Authority with the help of banks in 2013. Officers of many nationalised banks were said to be involved in the irregularity.

Rape and murder of Sowjanya, a 17-year-old pre-university course student of SDM College, Ujire in Dakshina Kannada, on October 9, 2012.

The theft of 12 historic idols from Siddhanta Darshan Block of a Jain Basadi at Moodbidri in September 2013.

Death of IAS officer D K Ravi in April, 2015.

Single-digit lottery scam.

H D Kumaraswamy, JD(S) leader: The chief minister and Home Minister K J George should now disclose the name of the minister who was collecting the hafta. He should
tell why Pari Rajan was not arrested all these days.