The Hindu

• Lokayukta raids unearth assets disproportionate to their source of income 

Bangalore, Mar 15: Unaccounted cash of Rs 23 lac in the house of a police officer in Dodballapur; 45 house sites owned by a police inspector and his close relatives and a commercial complex owned by another inspector in upmarket Koramangala.

These are just a few among the assets unearthed by the Lokayukta police on Tuesday March 14, when they raided offices and houses of five police officials, including a Deputy Superintendent of Police, and found assets disproportionate to their known sources of income.

Daylong raids

The assets unearthed during the daylong raids are estimated at Rs 60 crore.

The officials who are now being investigated are: Deputy Superintendent of Police of Doddaballapur N. Krishnappa; and four Inspectors of Bangalore city — Mir Arif Ali of Koramangala police station, Shami-ur-Rehman of City Crime Branch's Fraud and Misappropriation Wing; N. Narayanaswamy of VVIP Security; and P. Shivanna, Circle Inspector of Yeshwantapur police station.

The raids were conducted by four teams of the Lokayukta police, each headed by a Superintendent of Police. The raids started in the morning after search warrants were secured from a city sessions court. Apart from the Lokayukta police, four Superintendents from the districts, including Tumkur and Davangere, also supervised the operations.

The safe in Krishnappa's residence in Judicial Layout in the city had to be broken open because his family said they did not have the keys. Cash was also found elsewhere in the house and totalled Rs 23.52 lakhs. Gold and silver ornaments worth Rs 1.58 lac and documents related to two plots in Byatarayanapura and J.P Nagar, measuring 40X60 feet and 50X80 feet were found. His residence valued at Rs 1.5 crore has three floors and a cellar and stands on a 50X80-foot plot. Another three-storeyed house of this officer on the city outskirts has been let out. He owns eight acres of land near Devanahalli in his name and another 3.2 acres in his father's name in the same area. Mr. Krishnappa owns an Innova sports utility vehicle and two motorcycles. His assets are estimated at Rs 15 crores, However, his bank accounts and other documents are still being traced, according to the Lokayukta police.

Shamiur Rahman's house yielded documents related to properties owned by him in Yeshwantpur, Mahadevpura, HAL area, R.T Nagar, Byatayarayanapura, Chennrayanapatna and Raichur. Documents related to 2.5 acres of agricultural land in Dodballapur, flats in Indiranagar and Sanjaynagar were found besides Rs. 4 lac cash. There were share certificates and other investments worth Rs 40 lac. His 10 bank accounts are being looked into, the Lokayukta police said.

Mir Arif Ali lives in a house in Koramanagala 4th Block. He owns another house there estimated at Rs 40 lac and a site of 60X40 ft close by. Documents related to 10 house sites in the names of his son-in-law and other relatives were found, besides Rs 2.75 lakhs in cash. The household fixtures and appliances are estimated at Rs. 10 lakh. Two of his bank lockers are yet to be opened and searched. Bank accounts in his and his son-in-law's names in two banks are yet to checked, according to the Lokayukta police.

Shivanna's residence in Peenya second stage is valued at Rs 1.5 crore, built on a 50X80-foot plot. He has a building estimated to cost Rs 50 lac in Tumkur and another house near Sira Gate near that city. His bank accounts are being looked into.