Lokayukta seizes properties worth crores belonging to govt officials in B’luru

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Lokayukta sleuths on Wednesday carried out simultaneous raids at 57 different locations belonging to government officers and businessmen across the state. According to sources, searches were conducted at the houses and offices belonging to officials who have allegedly amassed assets disproportionate to their known source of income.

The raids were carried out at the residences of Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) chief engineer, HJ Ramesh; Deputy Director of Factories (Labour Department) TV Narayanappa, Gram Panchayat secretary SD Rangaswamy and Civic Agency executive engineer Pramod Kumar in Bengaluru.

The Lokayukta sleuths recovered a two-wheeler and a four wheeler, gold silver, shares, whisky bottles and household articles, all worth about Rs 1.4 crore at HJ Ramesh's house in Basaveshwara Nagar in Bengaluru. Later the team also found documents of properties worth Rs 4.2 crore in the Hitech Defence & Aerospace Park Industrial Area, Devanahalli, 0.75 acre plot in Dabaspet and an under-construction house in BEML Layout here.

The Lokayukta team searching the properties of TV Narayanappa, recovered a list of movable properties including two motorcycles, gold and silver articles, and Rs 17,000 in cash. The list of immovable properties found included one site, three houses and 10 acres of agricultural land valued at Rs 2.3 crore.

The properties have been seized by the Lokayukta officials. Other than Bengaluru, the raids were carried out by the Lokayukta officials at properties in Tumakuru, Haveri, Mysuru and Bidar districts. According to the sources, the officials are currently verifying the property documents and bank account details of at least 15 government officials, the details of which are yet to be revealed.