Bengaluru – The Bengaluru Police raided the house of former rowdy-sheeter and ex-Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike Corporator, V. Nagaraj alias Bomb Naga in the wee hours of yesterday and found demonetised notes worth Rs. 15 crore in his possession.

According to Hennur Police Inspector Srinivas, a man named Umesh had filed a complaint that Bomb Naga had cheated him in a money exchange racket. “Umesh said that Naga had even abducted him and threatened him with dire consequences if he asked about the money,” Inspector Srinivas said.

At around 5am, Hennur Police arrived at Bomb Naga’s five-storey home located in Srirampura, a western suburb of Bengaluru. But it wasn’t easy to get in. The Police encountered a fortress and had to call in metal wiring experts to break open the wall-like gates, and break into Bomb Naga’s home. And when they went in, they were surprised to see the money piled up.

“We have also found lethal weapons and the raid is not yet complete. He conducted his operations from home and has an office space here. The Police are still combing through the place,” Inspector Srinivas added.

Naga is wanted in over 45 cases of attempted murder, extortion, kidnapping and money laundering in Srirampura Police Station. He managed to escape before Police arrived and is currently believed to be on the run.

“Pravin Kumar, son-in-law of the former Legislative Council Chairman Veeranna Mattikatti is also suspected to be a part of the money exchange racket. Pravin Kumar had taken Naga’s help to get demonetised notes exchanged. His wife Lakshmi is not cooperating and remains silent,” he said.

Bomb Naga was elected as Corporator of Bangalore Municipal Corporation in 2002 from the Prakashnagar civic ward in Bengaluru West. He had contested as an independent candidate.

He also contested the 2013 Assembly elections from Gandhinagar as a candidate of the Badavara Shramikara Raitara Congress, but lost to Congress leader Dinesh Gundu Rao. Naga is suspected to have kidnapped a Bengaluru businessman for ransom recently and is also facing criminal charges of laundering unaccounted money.

“There is a suspicion that he was involved in land mafia as well since we have found documents of properties that are not owned by him. We are yet to verify where the huge amount of notes came from and why they were stashed here. He is absconding and we have launched a manhunt,” said Hemant Nimbalkar, Additional Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru East.