The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Lokayukta police swoop down on 10 officials

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Saturday, Jun 28, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Lokayukta police swoop down on 10 officials

Staff Reporter

Seventh major operation; first after the new BJP Government came to power

— Photo: K. Murali Kumar

In the net: Lokayukta N. Santosh Hegde, along with Lokayukta officials, showing photographs of a building owned by a government official, in Bangalore on Friday.

BANGALORE: Continuing the action against officials accused of having assets disproportionate to their known sources of income, Lokayukta police teams simultaneously searched the houses and offices of 10 officials, including an IAS officer, in different parts of the State on Friday. This is the seventh massive operation and the first to be done after the new government has come to power.

Raids since morning

Almost all the Lokayukta sleuths were involved in the raids that were being carried out since morning in the parts of Bangalore Rural district, Tumkur, Mysore, Belgaum and Kustagi in Koppal district. Among the officials who have been accused of possessing assets disproportionate to their known sources of income is IAS officer N.K. Baladeva Krishna, Managing Director of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Development Corporation. Mr. Krishna, who was promoted to the IAS cadre in 2007, was allegedly found possessing assets worth Rs. 1.06 crore.

The list

The others are Amanulla Sharief, Assistant Commissioner of Commercial Tax, Davangere; Shiva Prakash, Deputy Commissioner of Commercial Tax, Bangalore; Narase Gowda, Joint Commercial of Commercial Tax, Belgaum; Mehaboob Khan, District Registrar, Gandhinagar, Bangalore; Keshava Murthy, District Registrar, Tumkur district; Khayum Ali, Additional Director of Mines and Geology, Bangalore; Ramakrishna M., Deputy Superintendent of Police, Corps of Detectives, Bangalore; and H.D. Mahalingaiah, Taluka Executive Officer, Kustagi Panchayat, Koppal District. At the time of going to the press, the Lokayukta sleuths in all had found assets worth Rs. 20 crore.

Shopping complex

Mr. Krishna was found to own a shopping complex in Kengeri Satellite Town. “He first said it was in the name of his father-in-law and then said it was built by him in the land of his in-laws,” Lokayukta N. Santosh Hegde told reporters on Friday. The other assets that were found include a house in Kengeri Satellite town and another in Deepanjali Nagar, a shopping complex in Kengeri and a house which are under construction. He has Rs. 22.15 lakh in two bank accounts, while his wife has Rs. 4.05 lakh. Mr. Krishna has donated Rs. 5 lakh to Justice Bheemaiah Education Trust for which he and his wife are trustees.

Mr. Prakash was found running a travel firm in Malleswaram called Jaya Travels. “The firm has 102 cars. He says the firm is in the name of his sister Jayalakshmi, who has passed sixth standard and has not much income. Ms. Jayalakshmi possesses Rs. 1.5 kg of gold and Rs. 7.5 lakh cash,” Mr. Hegde said.

Mr. Mehaboob Khan has been found running an export firm in Bangalore. He stays in a palatial house in Rahmat Nagar of R.T. Nagar and another house in Malleswaram. He has two houses in M.G. Road in Mysore and has a cash of Rs. 30,000.

Resistance

The Lokayukta sleuths had to face some resistance from the brother of Amanullah Sharief when they went for the search in Mysore. “He questioned about the propriety of carrying out the search,” said Additional Director-General of Police (Lokayukta) Rupak Kumar Dutta. Khayum Ali was stated to have fled as soon as the Lokayukta sleuths turned up at his house in Austin Town. “He closed the door and leapt over the compound wall. He returned around 10.30 a.m. and said he had been to see his ailing mother,” Mr. Hegde said.

Benami transactions

Mr. Hegde said the Lokayukta sleuths have recovered from the officials documents related to properties held in different names. “We have found these persons not having sufficient finance. We have considered such properties as the ones purchased by the officials.” He said many of the bank lockers were yet to be opened. “An official told us about keeping in it cash for real estate deals,” Mr. Hegde added.

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