BENGALURU/KOLAR:Pari Rajan alias Rajan (52), the suspected kingpin of the single-digit lottery scam, lived an ordinary life commuting in trains even after he turned his small business into an empire allegedly with the help of his friends in the police department.
Rajan, a resident of Bharath Nagar, KGF, always used to wear a neatly pressed white khadi shirt and say that he was a movie script writer. Not many in KGF know which film he wrote the script for. That was about eight years ago.
The last couple of years, he changed his way of talking. Flashing a fancy smartphone, Rajan used to claim that he personally knew several senior officers and that he could get any kind of work done. While most people never took him seriously, little did they know that Rajan had cast his net wide with several police officers in his pocket.
He visited Bengaluru almost every day. In the last couple of years, he lived mostly in the city and visited KGF once or twice a week. Though he is said to have made hundreds of crores in this time, his travel habits did not change.
He was a regular commuter in Seshadri Express (Bengaluru-Kakinada) and Brindavan Express (Bengaluru-Chennai) till he was nabbed by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
Cop Connect
According to sources, Rajan came in contact with Dharnesh, the SP who was suspended last week, almost two decades ago when the latter was posted in KGF. It is said that Rajan used to work for a lottery company those days.
The exact nature of his work is not known, but sources say he was doing liaison work with the police department and lottery officials to ensure smooth business.
Following the ban on lottery in the state by the Dharam Singh-led Congress-JD(S) government, Rajan lost his job and started running illegal single-digit lotteries.
His proximity with Dharnesh allegedly helped him get his illegal business going, particularly in areas where the officer was posted. Later, as his business prospered, Rajan came in contact with senior officials, including a former DG and IGP.
Suspended IPS officer Alok Kumar was in fact introduced to Rajan by him.
According to sources, Rajan’s liaison skills came in handy in building a quick rapport with police officers and he was soon allowed free access to the chambers of almost all senior officers, at any time. He entertained them according to their needs, with expensive gifts, holiday tickets and even cash.
Sources said the CID interim report submitted to the government on Friday names several senior serving and retired police officers, including two DG&IPGs, ADGPs and IGPs, who were in regular touch with Rajan. It is, however, not clear whether all those who were in touch with him were involved in the racket.
CM Says None Will be Spared
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said that no official will be spared if found to be involved in the lottery scam.
Siddaramaiah told reporters that they have received the interim CID report. “We have given the same to Chief Secretary Kaushik Mukherjee. We have already suspended
SP Dharnesh and on Saturday, IPS officer Alok Kumar was suspended. We will suspend all those who have links with lottery kingpin Pari Rajan. Telephone contacts and calls will be traced. We will not spare any official involved in the scam. We will wait for the final report”, he said.
When asked about H D Kumaraswamy’s allegation that he (Siddaramaiah) was supporting another police officer, the CM said, “Kumaraswamy is known for his lies....I will not spare anyone. Action will be taken,” he said.