Lokayukta Police, who had registered a Disproportionate Assets (DA) case and raided the premises linked to K. R. Puram Tahsildar S. Ajith Kumar Rai, arrested him on Thursday after they found a huge cache of property documents in benami names from his premises.
A. Subramanyeshwara Rao, IGP, Lokayukta Police told The Hindu that this was a rare case where the officer raided in a DA case had to be arrested, as they felt his custodial interrogation was necessary. “We have found a large tranche of documents of benami properties during raids on his premises, a probe into which needs custodial interrogation,” he said.
Lokayukta Police raided 11 properties linked to Mr. Rai on Wednesday, along with raids against 14 other government officials in 10 districts across the State. None of the other officials have been arrested.
Benami properties
Lokayukta Police said they recovered ₹1.9 crore worth valuables, including ₹40 lakh in cash, from the premises linked to Mr. Rai. However, what has set the case apart is the recovery of “documents related to several properties in the names of other people running into hundreds of acres of land and also several high-end cars which are currently being suspected to be Benami properties of the accused.”
Sources in the Lokayukta Police said these documents pertain to over 90 acres of land in Doddaballapura and several other properties in the State. They also found documents of at least four high-end cars in other names from his residence in Sahakarnagar, sources said. Lokayukta Police are now trying to track down these suspected benami holders and interrogate Mr. Rai in a face-off with them, in custody.
Mr. Rai had earlier been tahsildar of Devanahalli and had been suspended in November 2022, for allegedly colluding with encroachers of Storm Water Drains (SWD) near Rainbow Layout in Hebbagodi, that was flooded due to encroachment. He was demoted and was facing a Departmental Enquiry (DE) in the case.
