Karnataka Lokayukta raids 29 locations, PWD engineer’s assets pegged at ₹12.8 crore

The Karnataka Lokayukta Police on Thursday conducted searches at 29 locations across Bengaluru, Bengaluru Rural, Davanagere and Dharwad as part of disproportionate assets investigations against four government officials, as per reports.

The action was reportedly carried out under provisions related to possession of assets beyond known sources of income. Officials said the coordinated searches covered residences, offices and properties linked to the accused and their family members.

Those under scrutiny include Purushotham Das Hegade, Executive Engineer with the Public Works Department (PWD) in Bengaluru; H M Janardhana, Superintendent Engineer with KRIES in Bengaluru Rural; Arjun R H, Assistant Executive Engineer (Civil) with BESCOM in Davanagere; and Somalingappa Fakkirappa Siddanagoudar, Survey Supervisor at the ADLR office in Dharwad.

In Bengaluru, raids at 14 premises connected to Hegade allegedly revealed immovable assets such as a site, two houses, two educational institutions and over 11 acres of agricultural land, with a combined estimated value of ₹11.52 crore. Movable assets including cash, gold and silver ornaments, and fixed deposits were valued at ₹1.32 crore, taking the total to approximately ₹12.84 crore.

In Bengaluru Rural, searches at six locations linked to Janardhana reportedly uncovered one site, three houses and 34 acres of farmland valued at ₹3.20 crore. Movable assets such as cash, jewellery and vehicles were estimated at ₹2.57 crore, bringing the total to about ₹5.77 crore.

At five premises in Davanagere associated with Arjun R.H., officials identified two sites, three houses and 2.2 acres of agricultural land valued at ₹2.17 crore, along with movable assets worth ₹31.69 lakh. The overall value was estimated at ₹2.49 crore.

In Dharwad, raids at four locations tied to Siddanagoudar led to the detection of three sites, a house and three acres of agricultural land worth ₹2.08 crore. Movable assets valued at ₹56.13 lakh were also found, taking the total to ₹2.64 crore.

Authorities said the documents and valuations seized during the searches are being examined further, and appropriate legal steps will follow based on the outcome of the investigation.