SIT arrests another linchpin in Lokayukta graft case, produces him before court

Officials of the Special Investigation Team, probing into corruption in the Lokayukta office, on Wednesday produced N Narasimha Murthy (39), a first division assistant (FDA) at State police headquarters, before the Lokayukta special court.

The police arrested Murthy from his Basaveshwaranagar home on Tuesday night. Murthy is shown as accused number three in the fourth FIR (61/2015) in the corruption and extortion case registered on a complaint by PWD chief engineer Uday Shankar. The SIT sleuths moved an application seeking the custody of Murthy. The special court judge V G Bopaiah remanded Murthy in police custody till August 24.

Sources said Murthy was moved to the State DG&IGP office on Nrupatunga Road around four months ago. Earlier, Murthy was at the Fire and Emergency Service and Home Guards in Halasuru. Incidentally, senior IPS officer Om Prakash was the DGP, Fire and Emergency Services and Home Guards, before he was appointed the State DG&IGP in March this year.

Sources said that some three days ago, Murthy was transferred to the Internal Security Division after an intimation about his involvement in the extortion cases involving the Lokayukta office was communicated to the DGP’s office.

Sources said Murthy was interfering in the transfer of police officials. A retired government servant, Shivaram, who too turned up at the court premises, said Murthy was given a separate chamber at the DGP’s office.

“I had filed an RTI application seeking information about his work at the DGP’s office and as to how he was given official cars. My application was rejected. I will file an appeal against this order,” he said. Sources said Murthy had claimed that he had come in contact with Ashwin, son of Lokayukta Justice Y Bhaskar Rao, over a gun licence. He claimed that Ashwin had approached him, assuring him a gun licence.

However, SIT sources said Murthy was in constant touch with Bhaskar alias ‘420’ Bhaskar, calling up government servants and demanding bribes from them.