Raid on babus reveals illegal assets

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The Lokayukta police on Friday raided five government officials, including IAS officer Syed Zameer Pasha, and seized assets allegedly disproportionate to their known sources of income.

The accused officials are secretary to Minority Welfare Department, Mr Zameer Pasha, managing director Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Ltd, Mr N. Lakshman Rao Peshwe, Yelahanka police station inspector Kenche Gowda, secretary PWD and Director of Projects, Mruthyunjaya B. Burji, and Accounts Controller of Bescom, Kolar, Mr G. Nagaraj.

Lokayukta ADGP H.N.S. Rao said the raids were conducted at various places in Bengaluru, Kolar and Ramanagaram. The Lokayukta police team of six DySPs and 20 inspectors, under the supervision of DIG Arun Chakravarthy and city SP P.K. Shivashankar, raided the houses and offices of the accused government servants.

Mr Rao said that while assets and bank lockers were still being verified, Mr Zameer Pasha owned assets that were 272 per cent disproportionate to his known sources of income. Mr Pasha, who joined service in the year 1978, retires next month.

“Documents pertaining to four schools run by a trust in the name of Mr Pasha’s relatives were found during the raids. Documents pertaining to the schools are still being verified. One bank locker and a few other documents are yet to be verified,’’ he said.

The value of the farm house in Kengeri and lands in Hubli-Dharwad main road are yet to be verified.

Police have seized foreign currency from the house of Mr Lakshman Rao Peshwe. The accused possessed US $3,057, Sri Lankan Rs 24,000 and Singapore $500. The Lokayukta police chief said Mr Peshwe possessed three flats - two in Jayanagar and one on Kanakapura Road, and four sites on Hennur-Banaswadi road.

Similarly, gold weighing 1.4 kg found with Yelahanka police inspector Kenche Gowda is also being verified, a police official said.

“There was a complaint with regard to the inspector that he allegedly kept some gold with him, which was part of a recovery in a case. He has not produced any documents to substantiate the gold and silver of 5 kg with him,’’ he said.