PRIZE CATCH: Lokayukta M.N. Venkatachala displaying the Rs. 23.6 lakhs cash recovered from Dodballapur Deputy Superintendent of Police N. Krishnappa's house in Bangalore on Tuesday. — Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash

BANGALORE: Unaccounted cash of Rs. 23 lakhs in the house of a police officer in Dodballapur; 45 house sites owned by a police inspector and his close relatives; and a commercial complex owned by another inspector in upmarket Koramangala: these are just a few of the assets unearthed by the Lokayukta police on Tuesday when they raided offices and houses of five police officials, including a Deputy Superintendent of Police, and found assets disproportionate to their known sources of income.

The assets unearthed during the day-long raids are estimated at Rs. 60 crores.

The officials who are now being investigated are Deputy Superintendent of Police of Doddaballapur N. Krishnappa; and four Inspectors of Bangalore city — Mir Arif Ali of Koramangala police station, Shami-ur-Rehman of City Crime Branch's Fraud and Misappropriation Wing; N. Narayanaswamy of VVIP Security; and P. Shivanna, Circle Inspector of Yeshwantapur police station.

The raids were conducted by four teams of Lokayukta police, each headed by a Superintendent of Police. The raids started in the morning after securing search warrants from a city sessions court. Apart from the Lokayukta police, four Superintendents from the districts, including Tumkur and Davangere, also supervised the operations.

The safe in Mr. Krishnappa's residence in Judicial Layout in the city, had to be broken open because his family said they did not have the keys. Cash was also found elsewhere in the house and totalled Rs. 23.52 lakhs. Gold and silver ornaments worth Rs. 1.58 lakhs and documents related to two plots in Byatarayanapura and J.P Nagar, measuring 40X60 feet and 50X80 feet were found. His residence valued at Rs. 1.5 crore has three floors and a cellar and stands on a 50X80-foot plot.

Another three-storeyed house of this officer on the city outskirts has been let out. He owns eight acres of land near Devanahalli in his name and another 3.2 acres in his father's name in the same area. Mr. Krishnappa owns an Innova sports utility vehicle and two motorcycles. His assets are estimated at Rs. 15 crores, However, his bank accounts and other documents are still being traced, according to the Lokayukta police.

Mr. Shamiur Rahman's house yielded documents related to properties owned by him in Yeshwantpur, Mahadevpura, HAL area, R.T Nagar, Byatayarayanapura, Chennrayanapatna and Raichur. Documents related to 2.5 acres of agricultural land in Dodballapur, flats in Indiranagar and Sanjaynagar were found, besides Rs. 4 lakh cash. There were share certificates and other investments worth Rs. 40 lakhs. His 10 bank accounts are being looked into, the Lokayukta police said.

Documents seized

Mir Arif Ali lives in a house in Koramanagala 4th Block, owns another house there estimated at Rs. 40 lakhs and a site of 60X40 ft close by. Documents related to 10 house sites in the names of his son-in-law and other relatives were found, besides Rs 2.75 lakhs in cash. The household fixtures and appliances are estimated at Rs. 10 lakh. Two of his bank lockers are yet to be opened and searched. Bank accounts in his and his son-in-law's names in two banks are yet to checked, according to the Lokayukta police.

Mr. Shivanna's residence in Peenya second stage is valued at Rs. 1.5 crores, built on a 50X80-foot plot.

He has a building estimated to cost Rs. 50 lakhs in Tumkur and another house near Sira Gate near that city. His bank accounts are being looked into. He escaped from the custody of the police after shoving aside two police personnel escorting him near High Grounds, the Lokayukta police said.

Mr. Narayanaswamy owns a four-storeyed house worth Rs. 2 crores in Vidyanaranyapura, eight acres of land in Chikballapur. During the raid, Rs. 19,000 cash and 700 gm gold were found in his residence. His bank accounts are being examined.

The Lokayukta police have registered cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Four officers were produced before the 23rd City Sessions Judge.

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