In a sweeping operation on Tuesday, the Karnataka Lokayukta police raided 40 locations across the state, targeting eight government officials accused of amassing wealth disproportionate to their known sources of income.
Key Developments
- Haveri Drama: Kashinath Bhajantri, an assistant engineer in the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Department, attempted to discard evidence by throwing Rs 9 lakh in cash out of his residence window. Despite this, authorities seized an additional Rs 4 lakh hidden in a mattress and bed. Bhajantri’s assets, valued at over Rs 2 crore, include:
- Two properties and six plots
- Five acres of agricultural land in Mundgod, Uttara Kannada
- Gold worth Rs 10 lakh
- A vehicle valued at Rs 11 lakh
- His wealth exceeds legitimate income by 128.6%, according to Lokayukta SP MS Kavalapure.
- Ranebennur Incident: An official failed to appear at his residence, keeping the raiding team waiting.
Other Officials Raided
- Kamalraj PH (Assistant Director, Commerce & Industries, Davanagere)
- Venkatesh S Majumdar (Assistant Commissioner, Commercial Tax Department, Belagavi)
- Nagesh D (Public Relations Officer, Mysuru City Corporation)
- Vittal Shivappa Dhavaleshwar (Village Administrator, Nippani, Belagavi)
- Ravindra Kumar (Deputy Director of Training, Bidar)
- Govindappa Hanumantappa Bhajantri (Assistant Secretary, KIADB, Dharwad)
- Prakash VD (Retired KSRTC Engineer, Ramanagara)
Implications
These raids underscore the Lokayukta’s commitment to addressing corruption among government officials. The seized wealth not only reflects misuse of public office but also highlights the necessity of stringent measures to curb such practices.
Further investigations are ongoing to ascertain the full extent of the illegal assets.
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