BENGALURU: Anti-Corruption Bureau sleuths on Tuesday raided residences and offices of seven civil officials in connection with disproportionate assets cases at 30 places across Karnataka.
The cases were registered in Bengaluru, Ballari, Kolar, Dharwad, Dakshina Kannada, Chitradurga and Kalburgi districts. Sleuths, under the supervision of respective Superintendents of police (SPs) have allegedly recovered huge cash and gold besides investment in property.
The officers whose houses were raided were Jayaraj K V, Mangaluru, Joint Director, Urban and Rural Planning; Srinivas, Assistant Conservator of Forests , Dharwad; Dr Srinivas, HOD, Pharmacology, KIMS, Koppal; Devraj K Shiggavi, Minor Irrigation department, Shiggavi, Dharwad; Dr S N Vijaykumar, DHO, Kolar; Pandurang Garag, joint registrar, cooperatives, Malleshwaram, Bengaluru; Channabasappa Avati, JE, PWD, Kalburgi.
In Bengaluru, ACB officials raided the house of Pandurang Garag and seized cash, silver and gold ornaments and few property documents. The raid took place in Vijayanagar and searched the house for about four hours. The officers took all documents for verification.
The press release by the ACB stated that "his two residences were searched and found he had three cars, 1 tractor, 3 bikes, 1.16 kg gold, LIC policies worth Rs 20 lakhs, 31kg silver ornaments, 4.4lakh cash and house holds worth Rs 20 lakhs," The sleuths are investigating and verifying the source of income.
Interestingly, the much appreciated District Health Officer Dr Vijaya Kumar's office, who has been serving in the district from past five years, his private nursing home in Mulbagal area was raided by the sleuths and according to sources, the team seized valuables including gold, cash and some property related documents. The sleuths also raided his father's residence in Chinthamani, his house and his mother in law's residence in Subramanyanagar of the district.
The sleuths not only raided the residences, offices of the officials but also their relatives homes. Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC)'s town planning joint director K V Jayaraj's residence at Kapikad, Bejai and two other places - his father' s residence at Padil, his wife's quarters in Kerala and his office at MCC building was raided.
According to sources, he has undeclared properties in Mangaluru and Kerala. The officials have taken Jayaraj into their custody for further investigation and recovered documents.The raid was carried out by ACB SP Bopaiah, DySP K C Prakash from the city along with sleuths from Udupi and Chikkamagaluru.
In Kalaburgi, Sleuths of ACB under the leadership of ACB SP Mahesh Meghannavar raided on the apartment of PWD Junior Engineer Chennabasappa situated near old Jewargi Road of Kalaburagi.Speaking to TNIE, Meghannavar said: "the verification of documents is still continuing and the estimation of the value of properties siezed will be known later,"
According to sources, Chennabasappa is having property of over Rs 2 crores including 23 acres of agriculture land at Mogadampur village of Chincholi taluk, 3 acres of land at Basavakalyan of Bidar district,apartment at Karuneshwara Colony and a super bazar. Cash of Rs. 50 lakhs were also found in his residence. The sleuths have to open a locker belonging to Chennabasappa, he said.
Meanwhile, former Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Science director and presently working in Koppal Institute of Mediacal Science (KIMS) Dr S Shrinivas's house was raided by Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials in Hosapete on Tuesday. Officials investigating said many complaints were reported against him about corruption in KIMS hospital.
In Hubballi-Dharwad twin cities sleuths raided five places and seized crores of rupees gold, cash, property documents and other valuables.