Lokayukta raids: Officials find cash, jewellery and expensive watches

Bengaluru: Expensive wristwatches, a large cache of unaccounted-for cash, and diamond and gold jewellery were some of the valuables recovered by the Lokayukta as they raided 12 erring government officials on Friday. During the raids, the Ombudsman unearthed Rs 49.85 crore assets disproportionate to the officials’ known sources of income.

The search operations were carried out by around 85 officers from the Lokayukta's police wing in over 60 places in Bengaluru City, Bengaluru Rural, Shivamogga, Tumakuru and Yadagiri.

The most disproportionate assets at Rs 8.63 crore were found with Athar Ali, Deputy Controller, Legal Metrology Department (Bengaluru Division). Officials found that he possessed four sites and three houses valued at Rs 5.82 crore. His movable assets were valued at Rs 2.81 crore and he possessed Rs 25,18,650 in cash.

When the officials raided 10 places linked to C T Muddukumar, Additional Director, OOD Chief Operation Officer (Invest Karnataka Forum, Industries and Commerce Department, Khanija Bhavana, Bengaluru) in Tumakuru, they found that his total assets were valued at Rs 7.41 crore.

Muddukumar also possessed three houses and 6 to 20 acres of agricultural land, the Lokayukta said.

The other officials who were raided are Chethan Kumar, District Labour Officer, Mysuru Division (Total assets: Rs. 5.38 crore); Anand C L, KAS, (Senior Scale), Commissioner, Mangalore City Corporation (Rs 2.77 crore); B V Raja, FDA, Land Acquisition office, KIADB, Bengaluru (Rs 5.51 crore); Ramesh Kumar, Joint Commissioner Commercial Tax, Commercial Tax Department, Bengaluru (Rs 4.08 crore); Manjunath T R, FDA, Revenue Department, O/o Assistant Commissioner Office, Bengaluru North (Rs 2.68 crore); K Narasimhamurthy, KMAS, Commissioner, Hebbagodi Municipality, Anekal Taluk, Bengaluru Dist (Rs 4.45 crore); Siddappa, Veterinary Inspector, Rameshwara, Doddaballapura Taluk, Bengaluru Rural Dist (Rs 2.93 crore); Prakash G N, Deputy Director, Horticulture Department, Shivamogga (Rs 2.07 crore); Nagesh, President, Antaragange Grama Panchayath, Bhadravathi Taluk, Shivamogga (Rs 2.19 crore); and Balavant Rathod, Project Director, Zilla Panchayath, Yadagiri. (Rs 1.69 crore).

Hublot Automatic watch found

Officials found a "Hublot (Swiss luxury watchmaker) automatic" watch during raids on C T Muddukumar. Wristwatches from Titan and Fossil were also uncovered.

“We have sent it for further inspection,” a source in Lokayukta told DH. “We are trying to ascertain its value since the authentic Hublot timepieces are very expensive. However, it is yet to be established if the watch is original or a fake and hence, it is too early to comment on its cost.”

Authentic Hublot watches cost in lakhs and some in crores of rupees.

Official attempts to dispose of jewellery

As the raids were underway, the Lokayukta sleuths found that a bunch of gold ornaments belonging to Athhar Ali were thrown out of the house. The ornaments were subsequently recovered.