Bangalore, Sep 24 (DHNS): Yet another series of statewide raids by the Lokayukta on Wednesday blew the lid off the wealth amassed by government officials far beyond their known sources of income.
While the total worth of the assets was Rs 11.07 crore, even a low-rung officer, a village accountant from Begur Hobli near here, was found to have acquired property valued at over Rs 1.63 crore.
M Krishne Gowda, the village accountant from Doddatogooru Circle, Begur Hobli in Bangalore South taluk, had joined the revenue department in 1979-80 and his total income from known sources was around Rs 65 lakh. The Lokayukta discovered that Gowda owned a two-floor house in BSK II Stage in Bangalore worth Rs 32 lakh, another two-storey building at Padmanabhanagar worth Rs 50 lakh and a commercial building worth Rs 50 lakh in the same area.
He also owned a 40’X 55’ site in Mandya worth Rs 3 lakh. Besides a car and an SUV, he owned a shed at Raghuvanahalli on Kanakapura Main Road worth Rs 10 lakh. The ornaments found at his residence were valued at Rs 4 lakh. The Lokayukta is yet to open Gowda’s bank lockers and value his worth of household articles.
The Lokayukta sleuths raided the residences of eight government officials, including a town municipal corporation commissioner, a deputy superintendent of police and two motor vehicles inspectors.
The raids were conducted at Koppal, Hassan, Raichur, Hadagali (Bellary), Bangalore South taluk, Jamakhandi (Bagalkot), Gulbarga and Shorapur.
Among the accused were Jagadeeshwarappa (inspector of motor vehicles, RTO, Koppal), K M Dharmappa (TMC commissioner, Hassan), Jayaram Nanappa Naik (inspector of motor vehicles, RTO, Raichur), Oli Eshappa (agricultural officer, watershed department, Hadagali, Bellary district), M Krishne Gowda (village accountant, Doddatogooru Circle, Begur Hobli, Bangalore South taluk), Rajashekhar Kasanappa Nayak (DySP, Jamakhandi subdivision, Bagalkot district), Shankar Kollur (deputy revenue officer, Gulbarga city municipal corporation) and Pandari Mallappa Dodla (warehouse manager, Shorapur, Gulbarga).
Earlier, the Lokayukta sleuths had trapped Jagadeeshwarappa and Jayaram Nanappa Naik when they were serving in Zalaki checkpost. “However, despite being trapped, Naik continued his corrput ways. This forced us to take action against him,” he added.
Of the eight babus, Jagadeeshwarappa was the richest, as he owned assets and cash worth more than Rs 2.5 crore, whereas his total income from known sources was just Rs 23 lakh. Next to follow him are M Krishne Gowda (Rs 1.63 crore), Jayaram Nanappa Naik (1.61 crore), Pandari Mallappa Dodla (1.26 crore), K M Dharamappa (1.35 crore) and Shankar Kollur (1.05 crore). While six of them are crorepatis, two are “lakhpatis” with Rajashekhar Kasanappa Nayak amassing assets worth more than Rs 92 lakh and Oli Eshappa owning assets valued above Rs 69 lakh. All the eight accused own sites, houses, land, commercial complexes, vehicles, including two-wheelers, four wheelers and sports utility vehicles, excavators, bullock carts, cattle and gold and silver ornaments in benami names. Household decoration articles worth Rs 15 lakh, Rs 5.20 lakh and Rs 7 lakh, respectively, were seized from their houses of Jagadeeshwarappa, Shankar Kollur and Rajashekhar Jayaram Nayak has invested around Rs 1 crore in one garden. He owns a grape garden, the worth of which is yet to assessed. He has two wives and has deposited cash in their names besides buying them gold jewellery.
Rajashekhar owns a 99.10 acres at Wadawadagi village in Bijapur district, while Shankar owns a car, an SUV and six bikes. Pandari possesses a Webley Scott revolver. Oli Eshappa owns cattle worth Rs 1 lakh, Hedge said.