The Karnataka Lokayukta Police carried out coordinated raids on eight government officials across the state on Thursday, uncovering alleged disproportionate assets worth more than… $35.6 crore, officials said.
Searches began early in the morning at more than 42 locations linked to the accused officers, including their residences, offices and properties belonging to their relatives. The raids were carried out as part of disproportionate assets cases registered at Lokayukta police stations in Bengaluru, Mandya, Gadag, Mysuru, Vijayapura and Yadagiri.
According to officials, investigators found that the eight officers possessed immovable assets worth an estimated value $24.05 crores and the value of the transferred assets $11.59 lakh crore, taking the total value of assets under audit to $35.65 Crores.
Among those raided was the CEO of Singanayakanahalli Raita Seva Sahakara Sangha, Shashidhar R, in Yelahanka taluk. Lokayukta teams searched five sites linked to him and found four sites, two houses and two acres of agricultural land worth a total of about $4.25 Crores. Officials also discovered cash, gold and silver jewellery, vehicles and fixed deposits worth $90.59 lakh.
Searches were also conducted on six websites linked to Dr HC Indresh, Associate Professor, Veterinary College, Hebbal. Preliminary results indicate assets worth more than $2.53 crores have been linked to it.
Other officials against whom searches were conducted include Vasanth Vallabh Naik, chief engineer, Bengaluru City Public Works Department; Satish S, Assistant Executive Engineer, PWD Department, Mandya District; MK Surakud, Backward Classes and Minorities Officer, Gadag District; Asif Iqbal Khalil in Mysuru; Prakash Irappa Godpalli, engineer, Vijayapura; and Veeresh Rudraiah Hiremath, electrical inspector at Yadagiri.
Investigators said the largest value of the assets was linked to Khalil, an assistant executive engineer at the Karnataka Water Supply and Sewerage Board in Mysuru. Its assets were estimated at approximately $8.81 Crores.
Lokayukta officials said the raids were carried out after complaints and intelligence inputs alleging accumulation of wealth beyond known sources of income. Multiple teams conducted searches for several hours, examining property documents, financial records and valuables.
Authorities said further investigations are underway to determine the exact size of the assets and whether others were involved in helping to hide them.
