BENGALURU: Noting that the preliminary investigation report submitted by the Hassan Lokayukta DySP on disproportionate assets allegedly acquired by former MLA Preetham J Gowda, his wife Kavya HG, four other accused and their benami transactions seems incomplete, a special court referred a private complaint to the Hassan Lokayukta SP to probe offences punishable under Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act and submit a report by October 22.
Judge Shivaprasad KB said that considering the allegations made in the private complaint by Sandeep BP from Hassan, the admitted incomes shown in Form 26 submitted to the Returning Officer and annual asset and liabilities statement submitted to the Lokayukta and the value of the properties acquired during the check period from 2018 to 23 by Preetham and his wife, accused No 1 and 2, respectively, and prior to, there is reasonable ground to believe that the assets acquired by them are not proportionate to their known sources of income.
“In other words, it prima facie appears that the assets acquired during the alleged period are disproportionate to the known sources of income of accused No 1 and 2 and illicitly enriched during the term of public office of Gowda and thereby he commits criminal misconduct.
Therefore, the complaint appears cognisable offence under Section 13(1)(b) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and the matter needs investigation by the Lokayukta police,” the judge said. The court noted that the preliminary report showed that accused No 1 and 2 established Prakul Granites, Prakul Services, Acani Minerals Pvt Ltd, and the purchased properties were acquired from the income from the said concerns, and there are no disproportionate assets of the income of Preetham.
The court stated that it is seen that the documents collected with regard to the alleged benami transactions would show that the documents about those transactions are in the name of the other accused.
