Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Oct 15: In a sweeping crackdown on corruption, Karnataka Lokayukta police on Tuesday conducted simultaneous raids on the premises of 12 government officials across nine districts, unearthing an astonishing Rs 38.10 crore in undisclosed and disproportionate assets.
The early-morning operation spanned 48 locations associated with the accused, covering Bengaluru Urban and Rural, Chitradurga, Davanagere, Haveri, Bidar, Udupi, Bagalkote, and Hassan districts.
Lokayukta officials revealed that the total haul included immovable assets worth Rs 24.34 crore, movable properties such as jewellery and shares valued in crores, and cash totalling Rs 1.20 crore. The single-largest cash recovery was made in Bidar, where Rs 83.09 lac in cash was seized from the residence of one official.
A senior Lokayukta officer described the raids as one of the most significant operations undertaken in recent times, reflecting the agency's intensified efforts to tackle entrenched corruption in the state's bureaucracy.
Among the key individuals under scrutiny is V. Sumangala, director of the State School Education, Research and Training Department, who is currently under suspension. She is alleged to have accumulated illegal wealth amounting to Rs 7.32 crore. Properties linked to her include four residential plots, five houses, and 19 acres of agricultural land. Additionally, officials recovered movable assets valued at Rs 2.24 crore. Her total immovable property has been estimated at Rs 5.08 crore. Investigators also found over Rs 1 crore worth of gold and jewellery, along with shares worth Rs 96.73 lac in her name.
A source close to the investigation commented, “Her portfolio is far beyond her known income sources. This level of asset accumulation raises serious red flags.”
Another prominent official named in the probe is N Chandrashekhar, assistant director of Agriculture in Holalkere, Chitradurga district. He is accused of holding disproportionate assets totalling Rs 5.14 crore. The Lokayukta report mentions four plots, three houses, and farmland measuring 15 acres and 8 guntas under his ownership. Investigators found jewellery valued at Rs 60.39 lac and movable assets summing up to Rs 1.12 crore.
Also on the list is N K Gangamarigowda, a surveyor with the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) in Bengaluru Rural district. According to officials, he possessed illegal assets worth Rs 4.66 crore, including two plots and two houses. His immovable assets alone are valued at Rs 3.58 crore, and Rs 7.73 lac in cash was also recovered during the raid.
The Lokayukta has now begun a detailed verification process to cross-check the seized assets against the declared incomes of the accused. Legal proceedings are underway, and officials confirmed that prosecution under the Prevention of Corruption Act is being prepared in multiple cases. “This is not just about one or two isolated cases. It points to a deeper rot within the system,” remarked one anti-corruption officer familiar with the investigation.
The raids have sparked intense public discourse around corruption in government service and the lack of effective internal accountability mechanisms. With vast sums of public wealth allegedly siphoned off, there is mounting pressure on authorities to act decisively and ensure swift prosecution.
As the investigation unfolds, more officials could come under scrutiny. Sources within the Lokayukta department hinted at the possibility of further raids and suspensions in the coming days.