Bangalore: The Lokayukta police on Tuesday conducted raids on 10 premises belonging to three government officials, including a senior IAS officer, in Bangalore, Bellary and Shimoga.
The Lokayukta police carried out simultaneous raids on the offices and properties belonging to the three officials and unearthed total assets of Rs 4.35 crore. Those who were raided are senior IAS officer Ramesh B Zalki, principal secretary, Women and Child Development department, B T Bogesh, first division assistant at Women and Child Development department at Kudligi in Bellary district and Clemet Royan, a driver in Mangalore Electricity Supply Company (Mescom), Shimoga.
The raids on the premises of Zalki yielded assets worth Rs three crore. The assets include a house in Mahalakshmipuram, off West of Chord Road, worth Rs 35 lakh, a house in BTM Layout, 2nd Stage, worth Rs 10 lakh and two flats in Five Oaks apartment on Infantry Road worth Rs 1.12 crore. He also owned a couple of residential plots worth Rs 1.3 lakh in Belgaum. It was also found that he was running a company called Supramental Rental Private Limited in the name of his family members and the worth of the company is estimated to be Rs 1.45 crore.
Besides, two cars, a two-wheeler, investments in shares and gold and silver articles, all worth Rs 95 lakh, were also found. In all, Zalki’s disproportionate assets (DA) is estimated to be 137 per cent.
FDA, driver in the net
Bogesh, now a first division assistant, was appointed as a driver in 1987. Raids revealed that he owned movable and immovable properties worth Rs 1.18 crore, including two houses in Hospet in Bellary district worth Rs 80 lakh. Movable properties include a car, two motorcycles, bank deposits, cash and gold. The percentage of DA is calculated at 237.64 per cent.
A driver at rural sub-division office of Mescom, Clement Royan, was found owning properties worth Rs 51 lakh which comprises a house in Shimoga and one acre land in NR Pura taluk in Chikmagalur district. The raid team also found a car, two motorcycles, cash, gold and silver ornaments, household articles and an investment in SR Decorator company, together worth Rs 31 lakh. The DA is 109.87 per cent.
Additional Director General of Police, Lokayukta Police, H N Sathyanarayana Rao said: “There are two more lockers of Zalki which are yet to be opened and will be scrutinised in the coming days. We are also investigating the accused officers to find out if there are more illegal assets in their names. The searches are continuing and criminal cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act were registered against them in Bangalore, Hospet and Shimoga.”
Two more lockers
Another official from Lokayukta who did not want to be named said: “We were trailing them for the past six months and had collected all the data required. When we acquired sufficient evidence, we carried out raids on their properties.”
