Lokayukta raids seven officials, unearths assets worth Rs 7 crore

BENGALURU: Lokayukta sleuths conducted simultaneous raids on the houses of seven government officials and unearthed illegal assets to the tune of Rs 7 crore.

The raids began early on Tuesday morning and were conducted in Bengaluru, Mandya and Udupi on 23 premises belonging to the government officials.

The officials who were booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act are T. Thimme Gowda  (Chief Engineer, Karnataka Urban Water Supply & Sewerage Board, Bengaluru), K.P. Gangadharacharya (ARTO, Jayanagar, Bengaluru), D.P. Mahendra (Deputy Environmental Officer, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board), S.R. Srinivasan (Executive Engineer, Karnataka Residential Educational Institution Society, Bengaluru), H.M. Mallikarjunaswamy (Joint Director, Town & Country Planning, MS Building, Bengaluru), Shantharaju (Deputy  Director, Sericulture, Mandya) and Dr Prabhudev Mane (Deputy Superintendent of Police, Udupi sub-division, Udupi).

Lokayukta police said that if any official’s assets are more than 30 per cent to their known sources of income, it will be considered disproportionate assets.

The searches were on till late in the evening. Some bank accounts and lockers are yet to be scrutinised.