Bengaluru: Anti-Corruption Bureau raids KIADB, BDA officials

Bengaluru: Sleuths of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) conducted raids on the properties and offices of BDA and KIADB officials early on Friday morning and recovered unaccounted cash and documents related to undisclosed properties worth lakhs.

The raid was conducted following information that the two officials Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) Chief Development Officer T.R. Swamy and Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) chief engineer Gowdaiah  owned asserts beyond their known sources of income.

The raids, conducted by eight teams, began at 6 am at eight locations in Bengaluru and two in Tumakuru district. Swamy's flat on the 15th floor of Mantri Greens complex in Malleswaram, Gowdaiah’s residence in Basaveshwaranagar, their offices and houses of their relatives were raided in Bengaluru and Tumakuru district.

High drama prevailed at Swamy’s flat when the ACB sleuths knocked on his door. Swamy, who had got to know of the arrival of ACB sleuths, refused to open the door. By the time ACB sleuths broke open the door, Swamy allegedly bundled cash in bag and threw it out of his flat window. ACB sleuths later found a bag full of cash on a shaft which they recovered. However, Swamy claimed that the bag did not belong to him.

The ACB officials also recovered documents pertaining to properties that are being investigated.

Another team found documents of benami properties at the residence of Gowdaiah, while his office was also seized for further investigation.

Recently, the ACB had booked three officials from the revenue department. Besides, ACB officials on March 9 raided 36 properties, including offices of nine government officials in Bengaluru, Kolar, Ramanagara, Hassan, Chikkamagaluru and Udupi.

Reportedly, P. Vijaykumar, an assistant engineer, rural drinking water subdivision in Koppal, had flushed down Rs 5 lakh in cash while keeping the officials waiting at the door.