BENGALURU: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) sleuths, who raided 15 government officials on Wednesday and unearthed disproportionate assets worth several crores of rupees, have found that some of them had amassed wealth 400-500 per cent disproportionate to their known sources of income. Among those raided, the assets of a former Project Director of Nirmithi Kendra, estimated at Rs 18.20 crore, was found to to be disproportionate by more than 879 per cent.
The officials of the anti-corruption agency had seized valuables such as cash, gold, silver, vehicles and had also found documents related to properties during the search and seizure operation on Wednesday. Sources said that the value of the seized items was estimated even as further investigation such as opening of bank lockers continued on Thursday.
The estimation was done based on documents produced by the accused officials and information gathered from various sources. As per the estimates, Vasudev R N, the former Project Director of Nirmithi Kendra in Bengaluru Rural, has assets worth Rs 18,20,63,868, which is 879.53 per cent disproportionate to his known sources of income.
The ACB teams had searched six locations connected to Vasudev and had found documents related to five houses and eight residential sites in Bengaluru, four houses in Sompura of Nelamangala talulk, 10.20 acres of agricultural land in Nelamangala and Magadi taluks, 850 gm of gold, 9.5 kg of silver, Rs 15 lakh in cash and household articles worth Rs 98 lakh.
Group-D worker has 564% DA
PWD Junior Engineer S M Biradar, who had stashed cash in a drain pipe at his Kalaburagi residence, allegedly has assets that are 406.17% disproportionate to his known sources of income. Biradar, whose assets are valued at Rs 4,15,12,491, was arrested by the ACB on Wednesday and was remanded to judicial custody for 14 days.
The ACB has estimated the assets of Joint Director of Agriculture in Gadag, T S Rudreshap p a , at Rs 6,65,03,782, which is 400% disproportionate. While L C Nagaraj, Administrative Officer, Sakala Mission, has assets worth Rs 10,82,07,660, which is disproportionate by 198%, Group-D worker at a BBMP High School, G V Giri, has assets valued at Rs 6,24,03,000, which is 563.85% disproportionate to his known sources of income.
While the ACB has continued the probe, the accused officials will now have to defend themselves by producing documents and explaining the source of each article seized during the raid to prove they are innocent.