Properties worth Rs 40 cr seized from govt officials

Bangalore, Apr 22 (UNI) The Karnataka Lok Ayukta today seized properties worth over Rs 40 crore in raids conducted on properties belonging to eight government officials under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Lok Ayukta Mr Justice Santosh Hegde, addressing a press conference here, said raids were still continuing in some places and according to preliminary reports, properties worth over Rs 40 crore were seized so far.

He said properties worth over Rs 25 crore were seized from Motor Vehicle Inspector Belgaum Mahesh Shankar Hanumashetty. The seized properties included five-storeyed commercial complex at Tilakavadi main road in Belgaum, business firm in the name of M/s Popular Earth Movers, in which his wife and brother-in-law were Directors, which had 29 vehicles including four crushers and eight JCBs.

Mr Justice Hegde said properties worth over Rs 1.11 crore were seized during the raid conducted on the house and offices of Deputy Superintendent of Police, Davanagere, H Anjaneya.

Similarly properties worth about Rs 2.05 crore were seized from Assistant Commissioner of Police, Yeshwanthpur, Pratap Singh, properties worth Rs 1.97 crore from ACP Chikpet H K Venkataswamy, Rs 2.01 crore property from Additional Superintendent of Police, Bangalore District, Kumar S Karning, Rs 47 lakh worth from Koppal Zilla Panchayat Executive Engineer Lashkari Naik and Rs 80 lakh worth properties from Ramnagar Municipal Commissioner Shivanna.

Mr Justice Hegde said though properties were seized during the raid from Deputy Commissioner of Police (Security), Vidhana Soudha, Bangalore, Laxman Singh, the value was not ascertained, as he claimed that the seized properties did not belong to him.

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