Lokayukta officials raid 11 officials, seize assets worth crores in Karnataka
The Hindu
Lokayukta officials conduct searches in 11 asset cases against government officers, seizing properties worth crores in Karnataka.
Lokayukta officials on Thursday (July 11) conducted search operations across the State in connection with 11 disproportionate asset cases registered against government officers in Belagavi, Davangere, Dharwad, Chitradurga, Mandya, Kolar, Mysuru, Hassan and Kalaburagi districts.
Several teams of officials simultaneously conducted searches at the residences and offices of the relatives of the accused government officers at more than 56 places.
According to a press release, the officials raided Basavaraj Maggi, Revenue Officer, Mahadevapura Division, BBMP, at 11 places and seized 15 sites, two houses, 32.2 acres of agricultural land along with ₹2.3 lakh cash, ₹59.4 lakh worth of ornaments and ₹61. 7 lakh worth of 586 casino coins. The total value is estimated to be ₹3.3 crore.
Officials raided four places belonging to Mahadeva Bannur, AEE, Panchayath Raj Engineer Division, Belagavi. The officials seized three houses estimated to be around ₹1.05 crore along with ₹1.8 lakh cash, ₹20 lakh worth of gold ornaments and vehicles worth ₹7.5 lakh.
During the raids on D.H. Umesh, Executive Engineer (E), KPTCL, Chikkamagaluru, officials searched five places. They seized four sites, four houses, and two acres of agricultural land worth ₹4.8 crore, along with ₹40 lakh worth of gold ornaments and ₹ 15 lakh worth of vehicles. The total value of the seized vehicles was worth ₹ 5.3 crore.
Searches on M.S. Prabhakar, AEE (E), Bescom Vigilance Police Station, Davangere district revealed two sites, two houses, 4.33 acres of agricultural land total worth ₹ 1.5 crore, in addition to ₹3 lakh cash, ₹30 lakh worth ornaments, ₹50,000 worth of vehicles, ₹10 lakh worth household articles. The total value is estimated to be around ₹2.01 cr.
During raids in seven places related to Shekhar Gowda Hanumgowda Kuradagi, Project Director, Nirmithi Kendra, Belagavi, officials seized five sites, four houses, 83 acres of agricultural land along with cash ₹1.6 lakh, gold ornaments worth ₹16.9 lakh, vehicles worth ₹8.3 lakh, totally worth ₹7.8 crore.
Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot has sought a report from the State government on a complaint that the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) had taken up works amounting to ₹387 crore in violation of rules in Varuna and Srirangapatna Assembly constituencies, allegedly on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s oral instructions.
“We are organising a health research convention, which comprises a couple of workshops, community-based learning, and also cardiac care. We also included a one-day seminar on medical education, how medical education has evolved in India and the U.K., and what we can learn from each other” said Dr. Piruthivi Sukumar Dean of the International Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of Leeds during his interaction with The Hindu.