Bengaluru, 27 March

Anti-corruption agency Lokayukta on Wednesday raided more than 60 places linked to 13 State government officials across Karnataka and found Rs 35.83 crore worth unaccounted assets, officials said.

Massive search operations were conducted across the State in connection with 13 disproportionate asset cases registered against 13 government officers in Lokayukta police stations of Bengaluru City, Udupi, Karwar, Mandya, Mysuru, Kodagu, Dharwad, Bidar, Kolar, Vijayapura, Chikkaballapura and Belagavi, they said.

Simultaneously, searches at the residences, offices and residences of the relatives of the concerned accused government officers were conducted at more than 62 places, officials said. Nearly 130 Lokayukta sleuths including 13 Superintendents of Police (SPs), 12 Deputy Superintendents of Police (DySPs) and 25 police inspectors were involved in the raids.

According to the statement issued by Karnataka Lokayukta, these officials had accumulated Rs 35.83 crore worth unaccounted assets. Of the 13 officials raided, it was found that Ranganath SP, Chief Engineer, BBMP, Yelahanka Zone, Byatarayanapura, Bengaluru had disproportionate wealth to the tune of Rs 5.28 crore while Roopa M, DC, Excise, Udupi District had disproportionate wealth to the tune of Rs 2.26 crore, Shivakumaraswamy, Executive Engineer, Karanja Project Balk, Bidar District had disproportionate wealth to the tune of Rs 2.78 crore.

Meanwhile, a staggering wealth to the tune of Rs 11.13 crore were seized from Nagarajappa, assistant director of town planning of Magadi planning authority in Ramanagara district. This included a site, six houses, 13 acres of land valued Rs 10.37 crore, Rs 11.50 lakh cash, Rs 25 lakh ornaments, Rs 40 lakh worth of vehicles, the statement added.