Lokayukta raids expose crores in alleged disproportionate assets of executive engineer

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Lokayukta police on Tuesday conducted simultaneous raids on properties linked to Rupal Naik, an Executive Engineer in the Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Department, and reportedly unearthed assets worth several crores of rupees, suspected to be disproportionate to his known sources of income.

Acting on specific inputs, Lokayukta officials carried out searches at multiple locations associated with Naik, including two residential houses in Bengaluru, a rented house and office premises in Shivamogga, and other related sites.

The coordinated operation was led by Lokayukta Superintendent of Police Manjunath Choudhari, along with DySP Chandrashekar and inspectors Rudresh and Manjunath. In total, five special teams were deployed to carry out the raids simultaneously.

During the searches, Lokayukta officials allegedly found large-scale movable and immovable assets in Naik’s name and in the names of his family members. Preliminary estimates suggest that the officer had accumulated wealth far exceeding his declared income.

According to officials, six residential plots valued at approximately Rs 1.94 crore were recovered during the operation. In addition, two houses in Bengaluru, collectively valued at around Rs 1 crore, were identified as belonging to the accused engineer.

A farmhouse located in Sakkarayapatna in Chikkamagaluru district was also found during the searches, adding to the list of properties under scrutiny. The raids also led to the seizure of significant quantities of gold and silver.

Lokayukta police confiscated 655 grams of gold jewellery valued at about ₹80 lakh, along with 2.5 kilograms of silver articles worth nearly Rs 4 lakh. Several vehicles, including two cars and two motorcycles, were also found and documented as part of the investigation.

Officials stated that the total value of the seized assets is likely to run into several crores, and the final figure may increase further once a detailed valuation is completed. Bank accounts, financial transactions, and property documents are currently being examined to ascertain the exact extent of the alleged disproportionate assets.

Lokayukta sources indicated that the investigation is still in progress and may continue over the next few days. Further searches and verification of financial records cannot be ruled out. Based on the outcome of the investigation, legal action will be initiated under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The latest operation underscores the Lokayukta’s continued crackdown on corruption within government departments and reflects the state’s stated commitment to taking strict action against officials accused of amassing wealth through illegal means.

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