Stinking rich Government official lands into Lokayukta net

A Government official, who was taking home a salary of Rs 14,000 every month, was found to have amassed wealth amounting to a staggering Rs 60 million when sleuths of the Lokayukta, the anti-corruption cell of Karnataka, raided his residence in Bangalore.

As a Karnataka Administrative Officer (KAS) R Rameshappa had served in various key posts in the Government of Karnataka during the last three decades. Presently, he is the Chief Executive Officer of Karnataka’s Khadi and Village Industries Board.

After seizing documents pertaining to a spacious house in Bangalore, two flats, two sites, and 27 acres of farm land in Chitradurga, besides gold and silver jewellery from his palatial residence at Padmanabhanagar in Bangalore, the Lokayukta chief Justice Santhosh Hegde said Rameshappa had amassed wealth and assets around 300 per cent more than his known sources of income.

Rameshappa, who had joined Government service at a modest salary of Rs 2,500 per month three decades ago, had served as Superintendent in the Excise Department, private secretary to a Minister, deputy commissioner of Bangalore Development Authority and other prominent posts.

The raid also yielded a car, a motorcycle, silver articles worth 12 kgs, gold worth 120 grams and cash worth Rs 650,000. Apart from investments in various financial instruments, Rameshappa had a bank balance of almost a million rupees, Hegde said.

The Lokayukta sleuths also recovered Scotch whisky bottles, which alone were worth more than Rs 60,000. Among the household articles, which were worth another Rs 650,000 was a video camera and expensive watches.

The investigation into the assets of Rameshappa was still continuing, said Hegde and added that the full extent of wealth amassed by him will be known only after the interrogation is complete.