Officials raid six sub-registrar offices.
In less than a week after taking charge, Karnataka’s new Lokayukta (ombudsman) Justice Shivaraj V Patil on Tuesday got down to business. His team of officials raided six subregistrar offices in Bangalore Rural and Doddaballapur districts. The Lokayukta police seized unaccounted cash in thousands of Rupees from officials, brokers and agents.
This was the first operation conducted by Lokayukta officials after Patil took charge on August 3, 2011.
The raids were conducted at the sub-registrar offices at Hoskote, Jigani, Devanahalli, Anekal and Nelamangala in Bangalore Rural district and at Doddaballapur in the neighbouring district.
Addressing a press conference, Patil said, “Our police teams conducted simultaneous raids at the six sub-registrar offices in the twin districts where properties are registered by the public. We seized unaccounted cash with a combined value of Rs 2,94,620 from officials, brokers and agents.”
In the Jagani office, receipts for encumbrance certificates with a combined value of Rs 1,55,440 were found with sub-registrar M Srinivas and his assistant Chandrashekar. But cash in the office was Rs 77,515, revealing a shortage of Rs 76,925.
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“An official (Puttaraju) was found with cash of Rs 8,890, while an agent (Satish) with Rs 25,700 and another agent (Kishore) with Rs 37,800 in cash. The officials concerned failed to explain the source of the unaccounted money,” Patil said.
Similarly, an unnamed broker was trapped for carrying unaccounted cash equivalent to Rs 59,050 at Devanahalli office and another broker with Rs 40,470 at Nelamangala office.
In the Hoskote office, excess cash of Rs 11,450 was found with J Vishwanath, who was in charge of collecting fee for issuing encumbrance certificates. In the same office, though receipts towards registration fee were given for a combined amount of Rs 37,600, actual cash of Rs 22,340 was found with sub-registrar C Papanna, showing a shortage of Rs 15,620.
Lokayukta officials registered a suo moto case against a Second Divisional Assistant (SDA) under Prevention of Corruption Act in Hoskote, Patil said.
Similarly, receipts for registration fee, encumbrance certificates, certified copies and franking documents with a combined value of Rs 27,380 were with sub-registrar C.G. Raikar and his assistant Satish at Doddaballapur revenue office though cash equivalent to Rs 15,675 was found revealing shortage of Rs 11,705.
In Anekal office complete details of unaccounted cash and documents were not given.