Karnataka Lokayukta corruption case: Ashwin Rao in land grab case too?

Bengaluru: Lokayukta Justice Y Bhaskar Rao’s son Ashwin, who is an accused in the corruption case, is in more trouble following allegations of helping a construction company grab land. However, the Bengaluru Metropolitan Task Force (BMTF), which is probing the case, has clarified that no individual’s name has been emerged so far in the investigations.

The case is related to conversion of 1.34 acres of Civic Amenities (CA) land in Vijaya Bank Layout in Bilekahalli off Bannerghatta Road from a CA site to non-agriculture purpose land. The government had acquired 111.18 acres of land and  handed over the land to Vijaya Bank Employees’ Housing Cooperative Society (VBEHCS) Ltd to form a layout for the employees in 1988. In this, one K Abbaiappa, who was the owner of survey number 114/2 had also given his 1.34 acre land, which was meant to be a CA site.

Shockingly, the DC’s office receives an application in July last year from Abbaiyappa, who died 13 years ago in October 2001, seeking conversion of his agriculture land to non-agriculture purpose and it was done as well. The VBEHCS learnt about it and filed a complaint with the BMTF about ten days ago.

Now, the VBEHCS office bearers are alleging that a Andhra Pradesh based real estate firm was behind the scam and it was supported by Ashwin, who allegedly made calls to officials in the DC office to get the job done.

However, the BMTF officials said that the investigation was in the preliminary stage and it was yet to know whose role was behind the scam.

Ashwin called Krishnamurthy fourteen times: phone records

The call details record (CDR) of Lokayukta Justice Y Bhaskar Rao’s son Ashwin, the main accused in the extortion case in the anti-corruption institution, has revealed that Ashwin had called Executive Engineer of Bengaluru Urban Zilla Panchayat, M.N. Krishnamurthy, 14 times from his personal number.

Shockingly, the investigation conducted earlier by the Lokayukta police into the case, has revealed that Ashwin was very much in the Lokayukta office when he made those calls. A senior police officer in the police wing of the institution said that number belonged to Ashwin and it will act as clinching evidence against him.

“Though we stopped the investigation into the case, all the case files including the CDR will be handed over to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and they will pursue the further probe. The number 9066029213 is registered in the name of Ashwin. When we took the CDR from the service provider it was revealed that 14 calls were made to Krishnamurthy on his official mobile number , between May 4 and May 10. On May 4 itself four calls have been made. On May 7, four calls were made,” the officer said.

“During the course of investigation, the calls were traced to mobile signal towers located close to the M.S. Building, where the Lokayukta office is located. It is strongly believed that the calls were made by Ashwin himself and the chances of any other person using the number to call Krishnamurthy is very less,” the officer added.