JOIN USLokayukta raids five officers in Kolar
The Kolar Lokayukta police on Friday conducted searches on the residences of the Social Welfare Department officers after receiving information that large amounts of development funds were being misused them.
The houses of taluk social welfare officer Farooqui Sultana, second division clerk in the Treasury office N Venkatesh, warden of Nachiketa Vidyarthi Nilaya Azeem, Group ‘D’ employee of taluk social welfare office Manjunath, and president of Veda Souhardha Credit Co-operative Society, Chintamani, Venugopal Reddy H N, were searched, said a press release issued by the Lokayukta. Incriminating documents pertaining to the offences and office seals have also been seized.
Non-existent workers
Lokayukta police have alleged that a sum of Rs 49 lakh was illegally drawn in the names of non-existing daily wage workers in various SC/ST hostels in Kolar district by the officials of the taluk Social Welfare Department in Kolar in connivance with the staff of the Kolar District Treasury office.
A case has been registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code.
Details
A B Sudhakar, Lokayukta Superintendent of Police, told presspersons that Chandrashekar, an agent who exchanged cheques for a far lesser amount than the face value, abetted the arrested in the irregularities.
“Chandrashekar received the State Bank of Mysore cheques drawn in the name of the Veda Souhardha Co-operative Society of Chintamani, Chikkaballapur district, from Venugopal Reddy, and encashed them.”
Nagaraj, Lokayukta DySP, and Lokesh, Inspector, raided the houses of Venkatesh and Manjunath while PSI Gautham and staff members raided the house of Venugopal Reddy.
Chikkaballapur Lokayukta DySP Narayanaswamy and PSI Krishnalamani raided Azeem’s house.
The Lokayukta police seized up to 50 gram gold and official documents and title deeds of a house at Farooqui Sultana’s residence; 63 gram gold and 468 gram silver from Manjunath’s house.
Venkatesh’s house had been recently constructed at a cost of Rs 50 lakh and is registered in his mother’s name. The police also found bank deposit certificates for Rs five lakh, 300 gram gold, Rs 5,000 in cash and three benami ATM cards.
Bank documents were also seized at Venugopal Reddy’s house. No documents or money was found at Azeem’s house, said the Lokayukta police.