The Karnataka Lokayukta is conducting search operations across the state on Tuesday in connection with complaints regarding disproportionate asset cases registered against five government officers at Lokayukta police stations in Bengaluru, Chitradurga, Chikkaballapur, and Hassan.
The searches are being carried out at several locations linked to the government officers’ residences, workplace, relatives’ houses, and farmhouses, among other locations.
The five accused government officials include N Venkatesh, Revenue Officer at the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Dasarahalli-sub division, Bengaluru; K Om Prakash, Senior Assistant Horticulture Director, Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) head office, Bengaluru; Dr Venkatesh, Health Officer, Hiriyur taluk, Chitradurga; Anjaneya Murthy M, Junior Engineer, Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Department, Chikkablapura; and Jayanna R, executive engineer, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) division, Hassan.
Further details are awaited, sources said.
On July 23, the state Lokayukta conducted search operations at 41 locations linked to eight government officials, including IAS officer Dr Vasanti Amar B V, in connection with alleged disproportionate asset cases registered in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Tumakuru, Kalaburagi, Koppal, and Kodagu.
The police said they conducted searches in five places linked to Dr Vasanti Amar, Special Deputy Commissioner of Rail Infrastructure Development Company Karnataka (K-RIDE) Limited, Bengaluru and recovered assets worth over Rs 9 crore. This included three sites, four houses, three pieces of agricultural land, Rs 12 lakh worth of ornaments, and Rs 90 lakh worth of vehicles, among other assets, claimed the police.
Venkatarama B, Office Assistant (Admin), Mysore City Corporation, was found to have assets worth Rs 3.7 crore, said the police. In Tumkur, searches across six locations linked to Rajesh M, Assistant Executive Engineer, Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB), revealed assets worth Rs 3.6 crore.
Searches were also conducted in four places in Kalaburgi linked to Sunil Kumar, Executive Engineer, Health and Family Welfare Department, which revealed assets worth over Rs 4.3 crore, officers said.