BENGALURU, BELAGAVI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday raided at least six premises linked to Excise Additional Commissioner (Belagavi region), Y Manjunath, who is the brother-in-law of PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi, for disproportionate assets, on Wednesday morning.
In Bengaluru, the ED officials raided Manjunath’s flat at Summit Apartment on Sankey Road and were checking some key documents. It is said that money had also been found in the house. The officials also raided a place linked to Manjunath in RR Nagar.
The ED raid came on the back of a disproportionate assets (DA) case registered with the Lokayukta police. The Lokayukta had earlier conducted a raid and detected illegal assets after a raid in 2013 when he was Mysuru Excise DC following allegations of illegal money collection for renewal of licences. The Lokayukta police had found substantial money and assets. A departmental inquiry was conducted against Manjunath in this regard which was subsequently closed.
Earlier, there was only Bengaluru Excise range. Manjunath allegedly used his influence to get the Belagavi Excise Range created and holds excise control authority over half the districts of the state.
Early on Wednesday morning, the ED officials from Bengaluru and Goa, along with paramilitary forces, launched the raids. Allegations of illegal assets, illegal bar licences and hawala dealings abroad have surfaced against Manjunath, and ED officials have seized several documents.
Manjunath was still in sleep when the officials came knocking on his door. They seized documents of benami properties allegedly linked to Manjunath and illegal bar licences. It is said that bar licenses in benami names were found during the raid, and through these, Manjunath was allegedly running bars and investing the proceeds abroad.
Not just Manjunath, ED officials also raided the houses of Manjunath’s close associates and officials from his own department. A raid was also conducted at the house of Chikkodi DySP Vishwanath Ganiger. The house in Basavanagar Colony in Belagavi city was also raided. Houses of officials were raided on charges of colluding with Manjunath. The ED Officials also raided the house of Tumakuru Excise SP Satish Kagali in Ainapur village Athani taluk, his house in Srinagar Apartment in Belagavi,
Since a large number of illegal documents were found, ED officials of DySP rank arrived at the spot, seized the documents, and reportedly took Excise Additional Commissioner Y Manjunath into custody as well. In total, the allegation of earning crores of rupees illegally despite drawing a government salary has now come up against Manjunath. It remains to be seen whether they will release him after questioning or detain him for further interrogation.
Manjunath is also alleged to own bars in benami names at various places including Belagavi, Bengaluru, Mysuru, Davanagere, Ballari.
