Gold, silver, diamonds, watches: ACB’s rich haul during raids on BDA Officials

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), which is on a hunt against corrupt officials across the state, raided houses of nine middlemen allegedly involved with the Bengaluru Development Authority on Tuesday.

Karnataka’s Anti-Corruption Bureau recovered a minor fortune while raiding the houses of middlemen allegedly involved in malpractices of the Bengaluru Development Authority. According to the news agency ANI, 4.96 kilos of gold, 15.02 kilos of silver and 61.9 grams of diamonds were recovered from the residence of BDA broker Mohan, from Manorayanpalya, RT Nagar.

Several valuables were retrieved from a BDA agent's home after an ACB raid (ANI photo)

The recoveries happened when officials came searching at the premises of middlemen suspected to have indulged in various malpractices at the BDA.

The ACB, having uncovered several instances of corruption in the BDA in the past, have now launched searches against its intermediaries. The Anti-Corruption Bureau is conducting raids on nine middlemen in Bengaluru who are suspected of being involved in the malpractice of the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA).

The ACB has seized vital documents from the offices and residences of these nine agents, who are suspected to have influenced public servants by illegal means and exerted their personal influence. Reports state the search for significant documents is still going on.

About 100 ACB officials have conducted searches at nine different locations in Bangalore for nine suspects involved in corruption and other irregularities in Bangalore activities under the supervision of Uma Prashant, Superintendent of Police.

Among the nine suspects are - Raghu BN from Chamrajpet, Mohan, Manorayanapalya from RT Nagar, Manoj from Domlur, Munirathna Rathnavelu from Malthalli, Teju Tejaswi from R R Nagar, Aswath Muddinapalya from K G Circle, Rama and Laxmana from Chamundeshwarinagara, BDA layout, and Chikkahanummaiah from Muddinapalya.

This comes after a huge ACB crackdown last week when raids were conducted across 75 locations, belonging to 18 government employees in various departments in Karnataka.

The main cause for the raid on Tuesday is believed to be the allotment of residential sites in Kempegowda Layout. Allegations against middlemen are that they created forged documents in the name of displaced farmers to allocate themselves BDA sites.

ACB officials also raided a two-storeyed house of BDA intermediary Chikkahanummaiah near Bangalore's RTO office on Tuesday morning, where they inspected cars parked in front of the house. It is understood that Chikkahanummaiah, who also owns a petrol bunk in Bangalore, has been running real estate for many years.

BDA broker Mohan's luxury home in R T Nagar's 2nd block has also been raided by a nine-people team, including DySP Prakash Reddy and Inspector Manjunath, where around 4.96 kgs of gold, 15.02 kgs of silver and 61.9 grams Diamonds (600 cents) have been recovered.

The ACB has reportedly also found valuables in Domlur from Manoj, another BDA agent, where 19 sunglasses and 22 watches of prestigious brands nationwide and abroad were also recovered.

More details are awaited.