CBI takes over probe in Karnataka Lottery scam

New Delhi, Aug 11: The CBI on Tuesday took over the investigations into the illegal lottery scam in Karnataka, as a fall out of which a senior IPS officer had been suspended.

A CBI spokesperson said that a case of criminal conspiracy and cheating under Indian Penal Code has been registered against the alleged lottery operator and unknown others.

The provisions of Lottery Prohibition Act have also been slapped in the case.

"The investigation of the said case has been taken over by the CBI which was earlier registered vide FIR No.64/2015 at Police Station-Excise Enforcement and Lottery Prohibition Wing, KGF, District Kolar(Karnataka) on the request of Karnataka Government and further directions from Government of India," the agency spokesperson said.

The lottery business was banned in the state in 2007, but it is alleged that the syndicate runners kept thriving the business with the 'involvement' of senior officers.

Senior IPS officer Alok Kumar, serving as Additional Commissioner of police, had been suspended on May 23 by the state government in connection with the alleged scam.

Kumar personally knew Pari Rajan, said to be the kingpin in the scam, and also had allegedly interfered in the investigation process.

Karnataka Government had sent the case to CBI after the Opposition BJP and JDS mounted pressure on it to hand over the multi-crore scam to the central agency for a fair and transparent probe to bring out alleged involvement of senior officials and politicians.

Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had probed the case and had submitted an interim report to the state government on the basis of which Kumar was suspended.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who had held a meeting of senior police officials in May, had ordered a CID probe into the alleged scam.

He had also said that government would take strict action against those involved in the scam.

PTI