<p>A team of Lokayukta sleuths led by SP Manjunath Chaudhary raided the residence of S Pradeep, head of the Organic Agriculture Research Centre of the Keladi Shivappa Nayaka University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences at Navule, here on Tuesday and found assets including gold ornaments worth Rs 4.57 crore. The search operations that commenced since morning lasted till night.</p><p>Besides, the officials also found currencies of foreign countries including Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore and Indonesia, 20 expensive watches and about 50 pairs of slippers were found in Pradeep’s residence.</p><p>Four German parrots, bought from Delhi for Rs 50,000 per pair, and 10 swans, bought for Rs 18,000 per pair, were also found in the farm houses of Bhadrapur in Shikaripur taluk and Kerehalli hobli in Hosanagar taluk. About seven cows, 41 ducks, 58 pigeons, 81 sheep, and 112 farm chickens were being reared in the farm houses.</p><p>Pradeep owns a house worth Rs 1.20 crore at Priyadarshini Layout in Shivamogga city, two plots in Bengaluru, a five-acre arecanut plantation and a farmhouse in Bhadrapur, and an 11.7-acre arecanut plantation and farmhouse in Kalshettikoppa.</p><p>Besides, a deposit of Rs 29.75 lakh, two cars, a tractor, three bikes, 383 grams of gold worth Rs 32.55 lakh, and 2 kg 750 grams of silver jewelry worth Rs 2.20 lakh were also discovered in the accounts of Pradeep and his wife.</p><p>Pradeep had been working as the head of the university’s organic agriculture research centre for the last 16 years. He was not in town when the sleuths came to raid the house. He had gone to attend a seminar in Nagpur, Maharashtra, on Monday. Pradeep has a locker in the Central Bank, which will be opened on Wednesday, sources said.</p>
<p>A team of Lokayukta sleuths led by SP Manjunath Chaudhary raided the residence of S Pradeep, head of the Organic Agriculture Research Centre of the Keladi Shivappa Nayaka University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences at Navule, here on Tuesday and found assets including gold ornaments worth Rs 4.57 crore. The search operations that commenced since morning lasted till night.</p><p>Besides, the officials also found currencies of foreign countries including Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore and Indonesia, 20 expensive watches and about 50 pairs of slippers were found in Pradeep’s residence.</p><p>Four German parrots, bought from Delhi for Rs 50,000 per pair, and 10 swans, bought for Rs 18,000 per pair, were also found in the farm houses of Bhadrapur in Shikaripur taluk and Kerehalli hobli in Hosanagar taluk. About seven cows, 41 ducks, 58 pigeons, 81 sheep, and 112 farm chickens were being reared in the farm houses.</p><p>Pradeep owns a house worth Rs 1.20 crore at Priyadarshini Layout in Shivamogga city, two plots in Bengaluru, a five-acre arecanut plantation and a farmhouse in Bhadrapur, and an 11.7-acre arecanut plantation and farmhouse in Kalshettikoppa.</p><p>Besides, a deposit of Rs 29.75 lakh, two cars, a tractor, three bikes, 383 grams of gold worth Rs 32.55 lakh, and 2 kg 750 grams of silver jewelry worth Rs 2.20 lakh were also discovered in the accounts of Pradeep and his wife.</p><p>Pradeep had been working as the head of the university’s organic agriculture research centre for the last 16 years. He was not in town when the sleuths came to raid the house. He had gone to attend a seminar in Nagpur, Maharashtra, on Monday. Pradeep has a locker in the Central Bank, which will be opened on Wednesday, sources said.</p>
