BBMP official raided by Lokayukta

 NT Bureau

Bengaluru: Following a public complaint regarding disproportionate assets, the Karnataka Lokayukta raided a BBMP officer in the city on Monday recovering a huge stash of cash and jewellery during the raid.

The team of cops found gold and diamond jewellery worth Rs 1 crore, Rs 80 lakh in cash and foreign currency, five acres of land worth Rs 1.5 crore in Nelamangala, two sites in Malleswaram worth Rs 3.65 crore and 12 flats in Yelahanka, JC Nagar and Hebbal.

Gangadharaiah, deputed as an Assistant Director Town Planning (ADTP), Yelahanka zone, Bengaluru, is alleged to have received kickbacks with a probe now on. Over 15 officials arrived at Gangadharaiah's residence in Mahalakshmi Layout on Monday morning and conducted the raid.

Later in the day two other houses belonging to the ADTP in Nagashetty Halli and Nandini Layout were also raided. The operation was headed by a Superintendent of Police (SP), two Deputy Superintendents of Police, and an inspector, according to sources. The residence and the cars parked in the premises were searched by the officials.

Ahead of the Karnataka elections, the Lokayukta has initiated searches on several government officials based on suspicion of receiving kickbacks. Simultaneously the Lokayukta police raided the farmhouse of BBMP engineer T Hanumantharaya at Bochapura village in Hiriyur taluk. They also raided the residences of Holalkere tahsildar Nagaragj in Channagiri and Shikaripura and his office in Holalkere.

The Lokayukta police also raided the residence of retired Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) in Shivamogga and his farmhouse near Honnali. In Kolar district, the Lokayukta officials raided three properties of Bangarpet Taluk Panchayat executive officer Venkateshappa at Bangarpet town and two properties at Thippadoddi in Mulbagal taluk.

Venkateshappa had been EC of the taluk panchayat for eight years and only two days ago, he was transferred to Bagepalli in Chikkaballapur district. The Lokayukta police also raided Gescom AEE Hussainsab’s office and his properties in Raghavendra Colony in his hometown Sidiginamola and checked documents.

He is accused of having amassed illegal properties in Ballari and Vijayanagara districts. The officials also raided Mudabi deputy tahsildar Vijaykumar Swamy’s office, his houses in Bidar and Basavakalyan and a garage and minor irrigation department engineer Suresh Meda’s office and his house in Bidar.

In Belthangady in Dakshina Kannada district, Income Tax (IT) sleuths searched the premises of former Minister K Gangadhara Gowda and his son Ranjan G Gowda, who is president of the Congress unit in Belthangady. The search comes in the midst of campaigning for the Karnataka Assembly elections, scheduled on May 10.