Lokayukta Raids Unearth Congress MLA's Riches

Bangalore/Bidar, Jan 5 (DHNS): The Lokayukta police on Friday conducted raids on eight premises belonging to Congress MLA Baburao Chinchansur.

The raids were conducted simultaneously in Bangalore, Bidar and Gulbarga following a Lokayukta court directive to investigate a private complaint filed by Shanthappa, who had claimed that Chinchansur had amassed wealth close to Rs 13 crore.

Documents relating to various properties have been seized and the authorities are perusing the 12 bank accounts and also estimating the value of some of the properties found.

The documents revealed that Chinchansur had purchased agricultural land tracts of 7.3 acres for a paltry sum of Rs 5,000; 13.30 acres of land for sum of Rs 8,000 and another tract of agriculture land in the same village with an extent of 17.18 acres for a sum of Rs 10,000.

Interestingly, barring the 17.18 acres of land, Chinchansur had only declared the 7.3 acres of land valued at Rs 5 lakh and the 13.30 acres land at Rs 7 lakh. The Lokayukta police are unable to confirm the glaring disparity in the valuation of the land.

The raids which continued till late Friday night, also revealed that the two bank accounts, contained close to Rs 1.62 crore in them. The accounts were traced to Shakti Dal Mills in Bidar, whose proprietor is Chinchansur’s wife, Amareshwari.

Massive assets

The officers who raided his nephew, Ramesh Jamdar’s house, found land documents pertaining to 32 acres of land in Ubanur village and also 1.95 kg of gold, belonging to the Gurmitkal MLA.

In Bangalore, Chinchansur has bought an apartment in the upmarket Ebony Godrej apartments, Hebbal for Rs 50 lakh. In Bidar, he has allegedly built four factories on the land belonging to the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board, whose actual value is yet to be assessed by the Lokayukta police.

Industrial holdings

The four industries — Shakti Dal Mill and Godown, Amar Wineries Factories Shed, Shakti Oil Industries, Sai Chemicals and Bio Fertilizers — have been registered in the name of Amareshwari. Four cars that have been seized have been valued at Rs 61 lakh.

Apart from the cash and jewellery, the Lokayukta police have also seized two ‘gold plated’ chairs from his residence which is valued at Rs 67,500.

The Lokayukta police also raided the firms owned by the legislator on the Gulbarga Road, and recovered Rs 9 lakh in cash at Amar Wineries and steel material worth Rs 5 lakh being used for construction, and a tractor at the Shakthi Dal Mill.

In addition, the Lokayukta team also has seized the photocopy of the documents related to a site worth Rs 90,000 at the local APMC yard.