MCC Zone 5 In-charge Assistant Commissioner and seven other officers under the scanner

Mysore/Mysuru: In an early morning crackdown, the Karnataka Lokayukta today launched simultaneous raids across the State targeting eight Government officials in connection with Disproportionate Assets (DA) cases.

The officials are accused of amassing assets disproportionate to their known sources of income. Among those raided was B. Venkataram, Zone 5 In-charge Assistant Commissioner of the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC), who also serves as the President of the MCC Employees Association.

In Mysuru, a team of Lokayukta officials, led by Mysuru Lokayukta SP T.J. Udesh, arrived at Venkataram’s residence in K.C. Layout around 7 am in private vehicles. The team sealed the entry gates, barring media & outsiders, and conducted extensive searches, including verification of documents.

Venkataram had recently led a protest by MCC Employees Association demanding full implementation of 7th Pay Commission benefits for civic workers.

In Mysuru, a team of Lokayukta officials, led by Mysuru Lokayukta SP T.J. Udesh, arrived at Venkataram’s residence in K.C. Layout around 7 am in private vehicles. The team sealed the entry gates, barring media & outsiders, and conducted extensive searches, including verification of documents.

Teams also searched residences, offices and premises of relatives of the accused. Simultaneous raids were also conducted at the residences of M. Manjunath Swamy, a retired Joint Director of Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship & Livelihood, in Sathagalli, Mysuru and Madikeri. Manjunath had retired just last month.

Other officials raided across various districts include Dr. B.V. Vasanthi Amar, IAS officer and Special Deputy Commissioner, Rail Infrastructure Development Company (K-RIDE), Bengaluru, Bagali Maruthi, Assistant Director, Town and Country Planning, Sahakaranagar, Bengaluru and H.V. Yarappa Reddy, Executive Engineer (EE), BBMP, C.V. Raman Nagar.

Raids were also conducted at the houses of M. Rajesh, Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE), KIADB, Tumakuru Zonal Office, Sunil Kumar, EE, Family Welfare Office, Engineering Division, Kalaburagi and Sheiku, Assistant Director, District Industries Centre (DIC), Koppal.

Raids were still in progress when we went to the Press. The details of the assets amassed by these officials will be known only later.