Lokayukta police carry out searches on officials across state over disproportionate assets

BENGALURU: The Lokayukta police on Thursday launched simultaneous raids on officials at 48 locations across the state, including 10 places in Bengaluru.

Thirteen teams of the Lokayukta police are conducting raids in various districts including Benglauru, Bidar, Dharwad, Koppal, Tumakuru, Chitradurga, Mysuru and Davanagere and are checking documents.

BBMP revenue inspector Nataraj’s house at Avalahalli in Banashankari.

In Bengaluru, the teams were conducting raids at 10 locations in connection with four FIRs against different officials. The officials raided Mahadevapura zone BBMP revenue inspector Nataraj’s house at Avalahalli in Banashankari. He had been earlier trapped while accepting a bribe of Rs 5 lakh on August 4.

Nataraj had demanded a bribe of Rs 10,000 each for issuing khatas for 79 flats through a private individual identified as Pavan. He had demanded a total of Rs 7.9 lakh and 60 per cent (Rs 5 lakh) as advance payment.

Based on a complaint from one Manjunath, Nataraj was trapped while receiving Rs 5 lakh. Nataraj’s 7.5 acre coconut farm at Shivanahalli in Kanakapura taluk and bungalow were also searched.

Raids were conducted on the farm house of Chikkajala gram panchayat member Lakshmipathi at Kodur village and the flat of Devanahalli tahsildar Shivarajat Ozone Urbana.

Raids were conducted on the farm house of Chikkajala gram panchayat member Lakshmipathi at Kodur village in Bangalore North taluk. Devanahalli tahsildar Shivaraj’s house at Ozone Urbana near Kannamangala was also raided based on complaints from locals about issuing fake khatas and falsification of documents related to government land.

The multi-storeyed house of police constable Vijay Kumar in Humnabad.

In Bidar, the Lokayukta police raided the house of police constable Vijay Kumar, attached to the Chitaguppa police station, at Teachers Colony in Humnabad and his parental house at Huchakanagalli in Chitaguppa taluk. The raids were conducted based on complaints of illegal assets.

The flat belonging to Santhosh Anishettar was searched in Belagavi.

The Lokayukta police raided the flat of Belagavi Mahanagara Palike Assistant Commissioner Santhosh Anishettar at Subhash Nagar and were scrutinising documents. They also searched his house in Michigan Layout at Saptapura in Dharwad and his brother Anand Anishettar’s house at Aladakatti village in Haveri district.

Raids were conducted on the house and offices of Minor Irrigation Department engineer K Mahesh and his wife H Bharathi, a BBMP junior engineer, at Jayanagar in Davanagere. The Lokayukta police found Rs 15 lakh in unaccounted cash, 1 kg of gold. Bharathi was earlier commissioner of the Chitradurga Urban Development Authority and there were several complaints of corruption against the couple.

Official documents were found in the car belonging to H Bharathi.

The Lokayukta team also searched Bharathi’s Tata Punch mini SUV (KA 17 MA 8513) and visited the neighbouring houses. They detected four sites belonging to her in Davanagere, a site in Holalkere, farm land and house in Andanur and 18 acres of areca plantation.

The houses and office of RFO Satish were searched.

In Davanagere district, a team raided the houses of Channagiri Range Forest Officer Satish in Channagiri and at Dollar’s Colony in Shivamogga.

The residence of Nirmiti Kendra manager Manjunath Bannikoppa was raided in Koppal behind Mangala Hospital. The Nirmiti Kendra office and a lodge at Hulagi were also raided based on complaints of disproportionate assets.

Cash and gold found at Nanjunde Gowda’s house.

Kodagu Additional Deputy Commissioner Nanjunde Gowda’s official quarters near Cariappa Circle in Madikeri and officer were raided along with another house in Periyapatna and his relative’s house in Mysuru. The raid team found unaccounted cash of Rs 11.5 lakh, silver and gold in his Madikeri quarters. It is said that his brother-in-law had brought Rs 5 lakh in cash yesterday night.

Harangi Superintendent Engineer Raghupathy’s house in Vijayanagar, Mysuru.

Harangi reservoir superintendent engineer Raghupathy’s Vijayanagar residence in Mysuru was also searched by a team of the Lokayukta police along with a relative’s house in Mysuru.

In Tumakuru, the Tumakuru Urban Development Authority Joint Director Nagaraj’s residence at Saptagiri Layout and his office were raided and documents were being searched. A house at Arasikere in Hassan district was also being searched.

BBMP revenue inspector Nataraj’s farm house in Kanakapura taluk.

A Lokayukta team also raided the office of zilla panchayat public grievances officer Dr Bhuvanahalli Nagaraj and his house at Bhuvanahalli in Sira taluk. He also owns a huge house at Adarsh Nagar, but the house is locked and the officer had escaped.