Bengaluru
In a major crackdown on corruption, Lokayukta officials conducted raids on multiple government officials across Karnataka on Tuesday morning. The raids, aimed at uncovering officials who have accumulated more property than their reported income, took place in several cities, including Davanagere, Dharwad, Belagavi, Haveri, Bidar, and more.
Among those targeted was Kamal Raj, Assistant Director of the Industries and Commerce Department, whose house in Shaktinagar, Davanagere, was searched. More than ten Lokayukta personnel, led by Superintendent of Police MS Kaulapure, were involved in the operation. The raid also extended to the properties of KIADB AEE Govindappa Bhajantri, with six locations raided in Dharwad, Savadatti, and Naragunda. In Belagavi, officials targeted a farmhouse connected to Bhajantri’s relatives, suspected of being involved in illegal property dealings.
Further raids were carried out at the offices and residences of several other officials, including AE Kantesh Bhajantri, working in the Rural Drinking Water Supply Department, and DD Srinivas Aladarthi from the Women and Child Welfare Department. Additional searches were conducted at the residence of Jyoti Shigli, a supervisor in Ranebennur, and Ravindra Kumar Rotti, Assistant Director of the District Training Center. Rotti’s properties in Bidar, Bangalore, and Naubad were also raided.
The ongoing raids highlight the Lokayukta’s intensified efforts to combat corruption in government departments.
