Raids unearth riches of four bureaucrats

Mangalore Today News Network/DHNS

Bangalore, July 26, 2013: Lokayukta police raided 14 places/offices of four government officials, including two brothers, in Bellary, Davangere and Hassan on Friday.

“Illegal” assets worth Rs 2.2 crore were confiscated during the raids.

The Lokayukta ADGP, H N Satyanarayana Rao, told reporters that criminal cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, were registered against S L Anandappa, Assistant Engineer (grade-2), Davangere Zilla Panchayat, and his brother S L Haleshappa, Assistant Engineer, Karnataka Housing Board, Bellary.

Similar cases had been registered against C R Manjunath, Office Superintendent, Government Hospital, Hassan, and G P Anand, Assistant Engineer, City Municipal Council, Hassan, for allegedly owning assets more than their valid incomes would warrant, Rao added. “We booked the cases on Thursday. The raids were carried out with the help of the local Lokayukta officers early on Friday,” he said.

The Lokayukta sleuths found Anandappa possessing assets (movable and immovable) worth Rs 40 lakh — 110 per cent more than he should possess.

Haleshappa was found to be in possession of assets to the tune of Rs 57 lakh (108 per cent more). While Anand had 193 per cent more assets (Rs 65 lakh) than he should own. “More than Rs five lakh was found in cash while about half-a-kilo of gold was found during the raids on Anand’s premises,” he said.

Manjunath, an office superintendent in a government hospital, had the highest — in terms of percentage — value of disproportionate assets.

“Assets worth about Rs 65 lakh, including half-a-kilo of gold, were found during the raids,” Rao said, adding that more assets were found than the sources indicated they would find.