Bengaluru, Jul 23 (DHNS): The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing charges of corruption in the Lokayukta office arrested two more people on Wednesday.

M B Srinivasa Gowda, who was till recently a journalist with a Kannada news channel, and his associate Shankare Gowda were arrested and later produced before the Lokayukta special court by the SIT.

Sources said that Srinivasa Gowda, a resident of J J Apartments on Magadi Road and a native of Kolar, would file RTI applications targeting several public servants.

Shankare Gowda, a resident of Kempapura, would assist him in filing applications and also in contacting such public servants. Srinivasa Gowda had filed several RTI applications seeking information about projects and works authorised by M N Krishnamurthy, executive engineer, Bengaluru Urban Zilla Panchayat.

This information was used to threaten Krishnamurthy on the pretext that there were several complaints against him.

When the SIT sought their custody, Srinivasa Gowda’s counsel stated that his client had no role to play in the case registered by the Lokayukta police which is being investigated by the SIT.

However, the counsel appearing for the Lokayukta police said that the accused were arrested in connection with the very case being investigated.

The Lokayukta police had earlier registered a case against Ashwin, son of Lokayukta Justice Y Bhaskar Rao, for threatening and demanding Rs 1 crore from Krishnamurthy.

Also, a CCTV footage from a star hotel on Race Course Road shows Srinivasa Gowda, with several other agents who were in constant touch with Ashwin, heading towards a room through the lobby.

Ashok Kumar, who was arrested by the SIT on Monday, is the accused number two, while Srinivasa Gowda and Shankare Gowda are accused number three and four, respectively. Meanwhile, sources confirmed that Ashok was in regular touch with Joint Commissioner (PRO), Lokayukta, Syed Riyaz.