Lokayukta raids at 48 locations across the state

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: In a surprise move, the Lokayukta officials on Thursday conducted raids in as many as 48 locations across the state after receiving information on a number of officials with regards to accumulation of disproportionate assets.

These raids have been carried out in places including Bengaluru, Mysuru, Belagavi, Bidar, Dharwad, Kodagu, Madikeri, Tumakuru, Raichur, Davangere, and Chitradurga districts.

This comes after corruption charges levelled against several officials. Around 200 officials from the Lokayukta took part in the searches, sources said. In Bengaluru, the Lokayukta is carrying out raids at 10 locations in connection with four FIRs lodged against officers.

The officials raided a former engineer with Bengaluru's civic and administrative body, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in Davangere.

A team of cops is also combing through the residences of a district collector in Priyapattana of Kodagu district and a revenue inspector belonging to the Mahadevapura division, whose residence is in the Banashankari area in Bengaluru.

Raiding the houses and offices of Mahadevapura BBMP Revenue Inspector, S Nataraj, the Lokayukta officials found assets including cash and valuables worth Rs 4.91 crore in Bengaluru.

The officers also raided the places belonging to a Grade-II Tahsildar, Shivaraju in the city and recovered assets including valuables worth Rs 4.15 crore from his possession.

Further searches are underway in several locations and information is awaited.