Chief engineer convicted in disproportionate assets case, gets 4-year jail sentence

DHARWAD: A former Chief Engineer of the Upper Tunga canal project, Andanagowda Patil, has been sentenced to four years in prison and fined Rs 1 lakh by the 3rd Additional District and Special Court in Dharwad. The court found him guilty of accumulating disproportionate assets worth Rs 3.52 crore.

The Lokayukta police had investigated Andanagowda after a complaint was filed against him in 2014, alleging that he had amassed wealth beyond his known sources of income. The investigation revealed that he had indeed accumulated assets worth Rs 3,52,72,000 more than his legitimate income.

The Lokayukta authorities had filed a chargesheet against Andanagowda, and the court had tried the case. Finding him guilty, the court sentenced him to four years in prison, imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh, and ordered the government to confiscate the disproportionate assets worth Rs 51,72,000.