The Lokayukta officials on Friday raided the residence of Kalakappa Nidagundi, a former clerk at Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Limited (KRIDL), and uncovered unaccounted assets valued at more than Rs 30 crore.
Nidagundi, who was posted in Koppal and earned a monthly salary of just Rs 15,000, was found to own 24 houses, four plots, and 40 acres of farmland. The officials also seized four vehicles, 350 grams of gold, and 1.5 kg of silver during the raid. These properties were registered in the names of Nidagundi, his wife, and his brother-in-law, NDTV reported.
Fraud allegations
Nidagundi, along with a former KRIDL engineer, Z M Chincholkar, is accused of misappropriating over Rs 72 crore. The duo allegedly created fake documents for 96 incomplete infrastructure projects to siphon off public funds.
Crackdown on corrupt officials
The Lokayukta has intensified its operations against government officials suspected of possessing assets disproportionate to their known sources of income. On Tuesday, the agency carried out searches at properties linked to five government employees across Hassan, Chikkaballapura, Chitradurga, and Bengaluru.
The officials under scrutiny included:
- Jayanna R, Executive Engineer, NHAI Division, Hassan
- Anjaneya Murthy M, Junior Engineer, Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Department, Chikkaballapura
- Dr Venkatesh, Taluk Health Officer, Hiriyur, Chitradurga
- N Venkatesh, Revenue Officer, BBMP Dasarahalli sub-division, Shettihalli, Bengaluru
- K Om Prakash, Senior Assistant Horticulture Director, BDA Head Office, Bengaluru
Earlier, on July 23, Lokayukta teams raided 41 locations linked to eight government officials, including an IAS officer, in connection with a disproportionate assets case. The raids took place in Bengaluru Urban, Mysuru, Tumakuru, Kalaburagi, Koppal, and Kodagu districts and led to the recovery of Rs 37.42 crore in assets.
IAS officer under scanner
Among the officials raided was IAS officer Vasanthi Amar B V, currently serving as Special Deputy Commissioner at the Railway Infrastructure Development Company, Karnataka (K-RIDE). She was also involved in land acquisition for the Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project (BSRP).
Searches conducted at five properties linked to Vasanthi led to the seizure of assets worth Rs 9.03 crore. These included three sites, four houses, three acres of agricultural land worth Rs 7.4 crore, gold and jewellery valued at Rs 12 lakh, and vehicles worth Rs 90 lakh.
