Gali Janardhan Reddy got Rs 125 crore stash for bash'
Driver's suicide note reveals exchange of money.
Mysuru/Bengaluru: Did special land acquisition officer Bhima Nayak help turn Rs 125 crore of black money into white for mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy before his daughter’s lavish wedding in Bengaluru?
The Karnataka Administrative Officer’s driver, Ramesh K.C.. 30, who committed suicide, has claimed in an 11-page death note that the deal was struck between the two men and Mr Nayak earned a commission of 20 per cent from it.
Claiming that he was under constant threat from both Mr Nayak and his private driver Mohammed not to expose the deal, he said he was not only mentally harassed but his salary for three months was also withheld.
Ramesh claimed Mr Nayak had told him about visiting Hotel Taj on November 15 and converting Rs 25 crore in black money into white for Mr Reddy’s daughter’s wedding. The driver also claimed that Mr Nayak frequently visited Mr Reddy’s close aide, B Sriramulu at the Woodlands hotel in cars with registration numbers, KA 05 MT 339 and KA 03 M U 8964 and converted another Rs 100 crore in the old Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes into Rs 50, Rs 100 and Rs 2,000 notes for them.
He alleged that Mr Nayak had met Mr Reddy and Mr Sriramulu at the Paarijaatha guest house along with one Katroos Nayka from Hadagali on October 28 this year to demand a ticket to contest the coming Assembly elections from Hagari Bommonahalli in return for a bribe of Rs 25 crore.
Naik tried to bribe judges too: Suicide note
The suicide note also makes several other charges of corruption against Mr Nayak, claiming that following a raid by the Lokayukta during his time with the Karnataka Housing Board, he had tried to bribe Judge Manjunath Nayak, but did not succeed. It alleged that he later met another judge in Mayo Hall and visited a judge of the High Court in Hebbal, to influence the Lokayukta judge to acquit him in the case.
The driver also claimed Mr Nayak had unaccounted properties worth Rs 100 crore. Ramesh committed suicide by consuming insecticide, according to police. His body was found Tuesday night.