Raid on houses of six corrupt officials yields Rs 600 million

In a major crackdown on corrupt officials, the provincial ombudsman – Lokayukta – carried out simultaneous raids on the houses of six Government officials in Bangalore and seized ill-gotten wealth amounting to a whopping Rs 600 million.

The general manager of the state-run Karnataka State Finance Corporation (KSFC) and the Commandant of Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) were among the six Government officers, who were arrested on charges of possessing property disproportionate to their known sources of income.

“It is a story of shameful exhibition of riches by corrupt Government officials”, Lokayukta Justice N Venkatachala told reporters while giving the details of the raids.

A raid on the residence of KSFC General Manager H V Krishnaswamy revealed that the official possessed property worth more than Rs 200 million. The confiscated property includes several sites in different parts of Bangalore and agricultural lands in his native in Malur. Cash worth a couple of million rupees was also recovered from the official.

A Commercial Tax officer posted at Koramangala in Bangalore Rangaswamy was found owning a fleet of luxury cars including Skoda, Hyundai Accent, Scorpio, Getz and Qualis, besides a palatial house in Bangalore and teak plantation. His property seized from him amounted to Rs 140 million. His colleague in the Commercial Tax office Gangadhariah also possess sites, houses and gold jewellery, whose value was disproportionate to his known sources of income.

A raid on the house of KSRP Commandant Krishnappa proved that the officer owned properties not only in Bangalore, but also in Davangere and Harihar, all valued at Rs 50 million. A junior engineer posted at Cauvery Guest House Narappa had amassed residential sites, houses, gold jewellery and automobiles worth Rs 50 million.

A village accountant in Tabaranahalli village on the outskirts of Bangalore owned two palatial houses in Bangalore, fourteen acres of land and three residential sites in Devanahalli, about 30 kms from Bangalore, two cards, besides even an educational institute. His property was estimated to be around Rs 150 million by the Lokayukta sleuths.