Bengaluru: In a major crackdown on corruption, Karnataka Lokayukta teams on Tuesday raided the premises of eight government officials, including 2017 batch IAS officer Vasanthi Amar, in connection with allegations of disproportionate assets and misuse of office. The raids were carried out simultaneously across Bengaluru, Mysore, Madikeri, Tumkur, Kalaburgi, Koppal, and other locations.
IAS Officer Under Scanner for Land Case Irregularities
Vasanthi Amar, currently posted as Special Deputy Commissioner at K-RIDE, has come under scrutiny for an alleged illegal order passed between June and September 2024, related to 10.2 acres of land in Dasanpura Hobli, Bengaluru North. The Lokayukta raided her residence in Bengaluru early Tuesday.
An FIR was registered last week at Halsur Gate Police Station, following a complaint by Prashant Khangouda Patil, an office assistant in the DC office. Initially logged as a non-cognizable report (NCR), the complaint was later converted into an FIR under Section 257 of the Indian Penal Code (BNS) after a court directive.
Section 257 (BNS) pertains to a public servant corruptly making a report contrary to the law, a serious offence carrying implications of deliberate misuse of power.
Read Also: Karnataka Lokayukta Extortion Case: HC Allows Police to Re-Summon IPS Officer Srinath Joshi
Who Else Was Raided?
The Lokayukta also targeted several other government officials suspected of accumulating assets disproportionate to their income. Raids were carried out at the premises of:
- Manjunathaswamy M., Joint Director, Skill Development & Livelihood Dept, Madikeri
- B. Venkatrama, Office Assistant (Admin), Mysore Mahanagara Palike, Mysore
- Rajesh M., Assistant Executive Engineer, KIADB, Tumkur
- Sunil Kumar, Executive Engineer, Family & Welfare Office, Kalaburgi
- Sheku, Assistant Director, District Industries Center (DIC), Koppal
- Bagli Maruti, Assistant Director, City and Rural Project Dept, Sahakarnagar, Bengaluru
- H.V. Yerappa Reddy, Executive Engineer, BBMP, CV Raman Nagar, Bengaluru
Government Departments in Shock
The raids have sent shockwaves across various departments, as all officers are currently holding or have recently held key administrative positions. Lokayukta sources confirmed that searches were aimed at seizing documents, bank records, digital evidence, and unaccounted cash or assets.
Read Also: IAS Vasanthi Amar Appointed as Special Dy Commissioner for K-RIDE Amid Calls for Full-Time MD
Investigation Underway
The Lokayukta team is now compiling evidence, and further legal action will depend on the findings. It remains to be seen if arrests will follow or if the probe will expand to more officials involved in related transactions.
