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Lokayukta conducts surprise raids, senior IAS officer in Bengaluru at center of probe: Report
IAS officer Vasanthi Amar B V under investigation for unexplained assets amid Lokayukta raids in Karnataka, uncovering ₹37.42 crore in illicit holdings.
A prominent female IAS officer, Vasanthi Amar B V, has found herself under the spotlight following an extensive Lokayukta investigation into unexplained assets among government officials. Vasanthi, who currently holds the position of Special Deputy Commissioner at Karnataka’s Railway Infrastructure Development Company (K-RIDE), played a leading role in the land acquisition process for the transformative Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project, according to news agency PTI.
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On Wednesday, authorities executed a sweeping operation, conducting searches at 41 properties associated with eight officials across various Karnataka districts, including Bengaluru Urban, Mysuru, Tumakuru, Kalaburagi, Koppal, and Kodagu. The collective value of illicit assets uncovered in these coordinated raids reached an estimated ₹37.42 crore, the PTI report said.
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Spotlight on Vasanthi Amar BV
Investigators searched five different locations tied to IAS Vasanthi. These efforts exposed assets totalling about ₹9.03 crore.
Notable holdings attributed to her included three residential plots and four separate houses, approximately three acres of agricultural land, assessed at ₹7.4 crore, precious jewelry worth ₹12 lakh and vehicles collectively valued at ₹90 lakh.
The revelations have had immediate operational consequences. Insiders at K-RIDE reported that the Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project has ground to a halt, as contractors have paused work amid ongoing issues with land acquisition — a process directly linked to Vasanthi’s responsibilities.
(With inputs from PTI)
