Bengaluru: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has written to Enforcement Directorate (ED) to verify whether Dr Girish Chandra Varma had paid the customs duty and other levies while purchasing Hublot watch. The ACB has been waiting for the reply from the ED in this regard.
Speaking to media persons, K V Gagandeep, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) said the letter was written to the ED based on the information available with the ACB. “We are told that all levies including the customs duty were paid while purchasing the Hublot watch. We are yet to ascertain whether the Hublot watch issue comes under the purview of anti-corruption if Dr Girish Chandra Varma paid the customs duty and other levies,” Gagandeep said.
He said the ACB had referred six cases to the state government seeking permission to prosecute those government employees involved in corruption. “We wrote the letter to the state government one month ago. We are waiting for the reply from the state government,” he said.
ACB out of RTI purview
The ADGP said that a letter was sent to the state government to exempt the ACB from Right to Information Act on the lines of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Criminal Investigation Department (CID). “Our intention is to avoid giving information pertaining to sensitive cases. The CBI and CID are exempted from RTI. We want similar facility,” he said.
Three officers raided
The ACB sleuths raided the residences and offices of three state government officers in the wee hours of Wednesday. The ACB police have raided the residence and office of Srinivasa Reddy, Deputy Director, Commerce and Industries Department, Kolar. The ACB police have also raided Preethi Public School owned by Srinivasa Reddy at Chintamani. They also conducted raids on the residences and offices of G T Srinivasa, Second Division Clerk, Taluk Office, Gudibande.
The ACB police have raided the residence and office of Sampath Krishna, Deputy Director, Mines and Geology Department.
