BENGALURU: Lokayukta police searched the house of their former Superintendent of Police (Bengaluru City Division-1) Srinath M Joshi, following the lead obtained in the ongoing investigation against dismissed head constable G Ningappa from Chitradurga district. Ningappa was arrested for allegedly collecting crores of rupees from several state government officials by leaking information of possible raids against them, after obtaining information from his ‘sources’ within the Karnataka Lokayukta. During a search conducted at the IPS officer’s residence in southeast Bengaluru, Lokayukta police recovered Rs 32,000 in cash, a few gold ornaments and documents.
Police issued notice to Joshi to appear before them for inquiry, and Joshi is said to have sought 2-3 days time. The probe had revealed that Joshi was in constant touch with Ningappa, which was disclosed in the call details records. Joshi is said to have visited Ningappa’s house in Chitradurga, where he was even felicitated, and Ningappa had also reportedly visited the IPS officer’s house in Bengaluru.
Joshi was relieved as Lokayukta SP, Bengaluru City-1, last week. Sources in the Lokayukta stated that Joshi was relieved as he was to be sent back to his parent department. It was in keeping with his Joshi’s request as he had completed three years in the institution.
Preliminary investigations had revealed that Ningappa had invested several crores of rupees in cryptocurrency in his own name, and that of his wife and certain IPS officers. He had invested Rs 4.19 crore in eight cryptocurrency exchange firms, and Lokayukta police are yet to obtain details of the money he invested in several other exchange firms.
Ningappa moves bail petition
Meanwhile, Ningappa applied for bail before the Special Court for Lokayukta Cases, which adjourned the hearing to June 19 to file objections, if any, while also handing over Ningappa to judicial custody till June 30. On the other hand, Ningappa’s wife Chandrakala moved the high court, alleging that her husband’s arrest was illegal.
Directing the Lokayukta public prosecutor to submit a response, Justice SR Krishna Kumar adjourned the hearing of Chandrakala’s petition to Tuesday.
Ningappa’s wife stated that their house was searched at 9pm on May 31 by Lokayukta police, and her husband was arrested at 9.30pm in Hosadurga while walking, and this was recorded on CCTV. Thereafter, his whereabouts were not known for two days. On June 2, an FIR was registered against him and he was produced before the jurisdictional court the next day.
However, Lokayukta police have shown in the remand memo that he was arrested at 6.10pm on June 2 near Maruthi Ground at Rajajinagar in Bengaluru, and he was brought to the Lokayukta office at 6.30pm. From May 31 to June 2 evening, no arrest was shown and no grounds of arrest were served on her or her husband. Therefore, the arrest is illegal, Ningappa’s wife claimed.