Lokayukta sleuths raid 7 officials; find illegal wealth

Lokayukta police conducted simultaneous raids on seven officials across the state, including information and technology minister SR Patil’s personal assisstant Siddanna Balappa Athani, and have recorded assets disproportionate to their known income.

The police searched Siddanna’s house situated at Navanagar, Bagalkot, office at the minister’s house, and the district treasury office where Siddanna is chief accountant.

Another important bureaucrat who was raided was SS Savalagi, excise DC, Bidar. His house at Kalidasnagar and the offices were also raided. Also raided were the office and residences of T Mallanna, executive engineer, Chincholi in Gulbarga district.

The farm house and offices of Gopinath Magaji, project manager, Nirmithi centre, Bijapur, and junior health assistant of Chincholi, Siddanna Patil’s were also searched. The office and residence of Omkaramurthy, development officer, KIADB,Bangalore, and of assistant executive engineer of Bhadra Upper Project, Seva Naik at Saraswati layout at Davangere too were raided.

Illegal assets worth Rs7.50 crore was assessed from all these officers raids, said Lokayukta ADGP, HS Satyanarayana Rao.

Names officers and assets detected
Siddappa Balappa Athani, chief accountant, district treasury office, Bagalkot and also Assistant to Information and Technology Minister SR Patil; income: Rs84 lakh;  illegal assets: Rs80 lakh

SS Savalagi, Excise DC, Bidar; income Rs75 lakh; illegal assets Rs95 lakh

T Mallanna, Executive engineer, KB, Chincholi, Gulbarga; income Rs40 lakh; illegal assets Rs64 lakh

HV Omkaramurthy, development officer, KIADB, Bangalore; income Rs80 lakh; illegal assets Rs81 lakh

Seva Naik, assistant exec engineer, Bhadra Upper Project, Davangere; income: Rs56 lakh; illegal assets: Rs89 lakhs

Gopinath Magaji, Project manager, Nirmithi centre, Bijapur; income Rs60 lakh; illegal assets Rs1.75 cr

Siddanna Patil, junior health assistant, Chincholi, Gulbarga; income Rs40 lakh; illegal assets Rs 98 lakh