Bengaluru, Aug 20 (DHNS): The fourth FIR registered against Yerabati Ashwin, son of Lokayukta Justice Y Bhaskar Rao, states that the demand for bribe from PWD chief engineer D Uday Shankar had taken place at the official residence of the Lokayukta on Crescent Road in the City.

The accused, Ashwin, Bhaskar alias ‘420’ Bhaskar and N Narasimha Murthy, a clerk at the State police headquarters, had initially demanded a bribe of Rs three crore to prevent a raid by the Lokayukta police on Shankar in a disproportionate assets case.

The complaint stated that Shankar, who was an accused in the Rs 600-crore scam in the PWD’s Magadi subdivision, was called by Bhaskar in February this year. The caller identified himself as Krishna Rao and told the chief engineer that the Lokayukta wanted to meet him. After many calls, Shankar went to the Lokayukta’s official residence on February 5.

The complainant stated that he was first received by Bhaskar and Murthy at the Lokayukta’s residence. As per the official tour programmes of the Lokayukta, obtained by Deccan Herald under the Right to Information Act, Justice Rao was in Bengaluru on February 5.

According to the complaint, Bhaskar introduced himself as Krishna Rao and told Shankar that since there was already a case with the Lokayukta police against him, his name would be added to the list of officials to be raided.

Under surveillance

Shankar also met Ashwin at an adjacent room in the house. Ashwin apparently said Shankar’s mobile phone was under surveillance and that he would be raided anytime. After this meeting, Murhty had been calling Shankar pestering him to pay money to avoid the raid. To instil fear, the accused also threatened Shankar to pay the money before his daughter’s wedding, which was fixed somewhere in March.

On February 14, Shankar claims, he had paid Rs five lakh to Murthy near KR Circle. This is the first case registered by the Special Investigating Team probing corruption and extortion within the Lokayukta office, in which a demand for bribe has taken place at the official residence of Justice Rao.

Shankar is presently posted at the Karnataka Health System Development and Reform Project, a World Bank-funded project. He was accused of splitting Rs 600 crore worth of work into 525 piece works during 2011-12 in the Magadi subdivision.

The Lokayukta police had taken up a suo motu case against 15 persons, including private contractors, and the request for prosecution sanction order against Shankar was pending since 2012.

SIT arrests another linchpin in Lokayukta graft case

Bengaluru, Aug 20 (DHNS): Officials of the Special Investigation Team, probing into corruption in the Lokayukta office, on Wednesday produced N Narasimha Murthy (39), a first division assistant (FDA) at State police headquarters, before the Lokayukta special court.

The police arrested Murthy from his Basaveshwaranagar home on Tuesday night. Murthy is shown as accused number three in the fourth FIR (61/2015) in the corruption and extortion case registered on a complaint by PWD chief engineer Uday Shankar. The SIT sleuths moved an application seeking the custody of Murthy. The special court judge V G Bopaiah remanded Murthy in police custody till August 24.

Sources said Murthy was moved to the State DG&IGP office on Nrupatunga Road around four months ago. Earlier, Murthy was at the Fire and Emergency Service and Home Guards in Halasuru. Incidentally, senior IPS officer Om Prakash was the DGP, Fire and Emergency Services and Home Guards, before he was appointed the State DG&IGP in March this year.

Sources said that some three days ago, Murthy was transferred to the Internal Security Division after an intimation about his involvement in the extortion cases involving the Lokayukta office was communicated to the DGP’s office.

Sources said Murthy was interfering in the transfer of police officials. A retired government servant, Shivaram, who too turned up at the court premises, said Murthy was given a separate chamber at the DGP’s office.

“I had filed an RTI application seeking information about his work at the DGP’s office and as to how he was given official cars. My application was rejected. I will file an appeal against this order,” he said. Sources said Murthy had claimed that he had come in contact with Ashwin, son of Lokayukta Justice Y Bhaskar Rao, over a gun licence. He claimed that Ashwin had approached him, assuring him a gun licence.

However, SIT sources said Murthy was in constant touch with Bhaskar alias ‘420’ Bhaskar, calling up government servants and demanding bribes from them.