Karnataka Lottery scam: CBI faults police

Bengaluru: In a major twist to the illegal lottery scam, in which several senior police officers were involved, the CBI investigation has revealed that a false case was filed against alleged kingpin of the racket, Pari Rajan, after the police top brass directed the KGF Excise & Lottery police to do so.

Official sources told Deccan Chronicle that the ongoing CBI probe would spell trouble to some senior officials, who were involved in registering an FIR against Rajan, who reportedly had no criminal background.

“The CBI team, after launching the probe, took the details of all cases registered in connection with illegal lottery since the time it was officially banned. There were 276 cases registered in this connection and Rajan was not an accused in a single case. Based on this, the investigating was intensified and it revealed that the KGF Excise & Lottery police had registered an FIR following pressure from the higher ups,” an official said.

Further, it is said that the police top brass ordered the local police to register FIR against Rajan following the instruction by the state government, which was embarrassed by a sting operation telecast by a regional TV channel on the issue.

The entire episode related to the arrest of Rajan was thoroughly probed and it is reportedly established that the local police planted lotteries in his house to create evidence.

“Rajan had surrendered before the police, but the police team took him to his house, where he and his family members were locked in the kitchen. Then the team kept illegal lotteries in his house and then formally arrested him and carried out the procedure of seizing illegal lotteries. This all happened in the presence of an officer of the rank of IGP. The entire team is in trouble now,” the official said.

Meanwhile, it is also learnt that the CBI has questioned more than 25 police personnel connected to the case. The probe was also carried out on why disciplinary action was initiated only against a set of police officers, while Rajan’s call records reveal his nexus with several other senior IPS officers.

The investigations and chargesheet submitted by the CID, which probed the case before the CBI took over, is also in question, as the chargesheet was submitted without the statement of IPS officer Alok Kumar, SPs (Excise & Lottery) H.R. Dharanendra and Chandrakanth, who were suspended following allegations that they had nexus with Rajan. The CBI has also looked into why only these three officials were suspended and was there any personal grudge by seniors behind the disciplinary action.

Sources added that the CBI would soon seek directions from the court to withdraw the FIR registered against Rajan, as no evidence is found against him for his involvement in running an illegal lottery racket.

The illegal lottery case had rocked the state government with names of several biggies of the state police department emerging in the case in May last year. It was alleged that senior IPS officers were in constant touch with Rajan. Owing to pressure from opposition parties, the government had referred the case for CBI probe.

Police chief, Kempaiah quizzed

In connection with the ongoing probe in the lottery scam case, the CBI officials grilled DG & IGP Om Prakash and Advisor to the Home Minister Kempaiah for several hours at the CBI head quarters in Delhi on Friday. Om Prakash and Kempaiah were summoned by the CBI to appear before them to record their statement related to the case.

As an IGP had made a statement that he ordered the police to register FIR against accused Pari Rajan, following instruction from the DG & IGP and Kempaiah, the duo was summoned.

Sources said that the CBI officials quizzed the state police head and Kempaiah for their role in registering the FIR and the directions passed by them to the lower rung pertaining to the investigation.

After the questioning, Kempaiah told reporters that the CBI had sought some documents related to the case and he had come to the headquarters to submit the same. However, Om Prakash refused to comment.