Mysuru: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) yesterday arrested five persons including two engineers of Karnataka Housing Board (KHB) on charges of grave irregularities while purchasing land for a housing project at Yelwal Hobli in the taluk.

The arrested are Assistant Executive Engineer M.B. Somashekar, Assistant Engineer M. Mahesh and three middlemen — Jnaneshwar and Vijaykumar, both residents of Rajarajeshwari Nagar in Bengaluru, and N.B. Vasu from Kallur Naganahalli, Yelwal Hobli in Mysuru taluk.

Inspector General of Police (ACB) Sharath Chandra said, “Those arrested were produced before a court in Mysuru and the engineers were taken into Police custody.” Those arrested are among 46 accused in the case. Harish Gowda, son of Chamundeshwari MLA G.T. Devegowda is one among the accused in the case. He has been listed as Accused Number 44, the IGP said.

A press release from the ACB said that charges pertained to swindling of money during land acquisition by the KHB for a housing and development project at Gungralchatra and Yelachenahalli near Yelwal. The government and the KHB had acquired 81 acres of land in 2008 and 2009 at the rate of Rs. 36.5 lakh per acre and had incurred a net cost of Rs. 31 crore towards land acquisition from the farmers, the release said.

Based on complaints of irregularities, the government handed over the case to the Lokayukta. It transpired that the KHB officials connived with middlemen and siphoned off a portion of the amount due to the farmers as compensation in lieu of land acquired from them.

The ACB registered a case based on the findings of the Lokayukta and arrested the five accused.