The Karnataka Lokayukta on Thursday conducted raids on four government officials across Karnataka and allegedly unearthed assets worth ₹23.76 crore that were disproportionate to their known sources of income.
The searches were carried out at multiple locations in Bengaluru, Davangere and Dharwad as part of investigations under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Officials said the raids followed complaints from citizens and preliminary inquiries into the alleged disproportionate wealth of government employees.
According to Lokayukta officials, the final valuation of the seized materials and verification of income records will determine further legal action.
Among those raided, Karnataka Public Works Department (PWD) Executive Engineer Purushotham Das Hegade was found to possess assets worth ₹11.29 crore. These included a site, two houses, two educational institutions, 11 acres and 30 guntas of agricultural land, cash amounting to ₹44.23 lakh, gold and silver ornaments worth ₹60.79 lakh, and fixed deposits of ₹27 lakh. Officials said he was the richest among the four.
The other officials under scrutiny were HM Janardhana, Superintendent Engineer with the Karnataka Residential Educational Institutions Society, Arjun RH, Assistant Executive Engineer (Civil) with the BESCOM in Davangere, and Somalingappa Fakkirappa Siddanagoudar, Survey Supervisor at the Assistant Director of Land Records office in Dharwad.
During the raids, the Lokayukta also seized ₹1.70 crore in cash from a flat belonging to Sujay Shetty, a friend of Janardhana. A case has been registered against him at the Bengaluru Rural Lokayukta Police Station for allegedly possessing assets disproportionate to his known income.
Officials said Shetty owned a plot, three houses, 34 acres of agricultural land, gold and silver ornaments worth ₹7.08 lakh, vehicles valued at ₹20 lakh, and other valuables worth ₹60 lakh. The total value of his assets has been estimated at ₹2.57 crore.
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