With their teeth back, Lokayukta cops raid firm linked to politician

Resuming probe into the pending cases, the Lokayukta police raided a construction company linked to a politician and seven other premises here on Thursday.

The case pertains to the seizure of hundreds of files about works in the BBMP’s Rajarajeshwari Nagar division.

The files were seized in December 2014 from a house (No 10/1) on 2nd main road, Vyalikaval, which is in the name of Manjula, wife of Rajarajeshwari Nagar MLA Munirathna.

Following the High Court order on resuming investigation in the pending cases, the Lokayukta police raided the office of Malathesh, executive engineer of BBMP in West-Road Infrastructure Division, his residence on 8th Main Rajiv Gandhi Nagar in Kodigehalli; M Kempegowda, executive engineer of BBMP in South-Road Infrastructure Division, his residence on 3rd Main, 3rd Cross at HRBR Layout in Kalyan Nagar; I K Vishwas, assistant executive engineer of BBMP, Kottigepalya in Nagarabhavi, and his residence in Kumara Paradise on BP Wadia Road in Basavanagudi.

The police also raided contractor Venkatesh Murthy alias Tar Venkatesh’s office at Saptagiri Asphalt at 12th  Cross in Wilson Garden and the house of M R Jayaram of Vrushabhadri Constructions at Guni Agrahara village in Hesaraghatta.

Jayaram, a source said, is an employee of Vrushabhadri Constructions and police found incriminating documents to further probe the politician’s involvement in the firm.

“We had definite clues that the firm, though in the name of certain people, is actually owned by a politician. Thursday’s search yielded enough materials for a further probe in this direction. Besides incriminating documents, Rs 3.5 lakh in cash, documents of an apartment and advance paid for the purchase of a site from a house building co-operative society were found from the residence of executive engineer Malathesh,” an official said.

The Lokayukta police had searched Manjula’s house on December 26, 2014, following a tip-off that files pertaining to BBMP works were being scrutinised there. They had found BBMP executive engineer Idaya Vendon, who was on leave that day, and others in the house.

The Lokayukta police then booked Vendon, his office clerk Shailaja, Vishwas and three private contractors. In February 2016, junior engineer Vishwas, who was absconding for over a year, surre-ndered before the Investigating Officer after his bail applications were rejected by the Lokayukta special court and the High Court. Subsequently, the Lokayukta police arrested him.