Karnataka ex-clerk owned 24 houses, 350 gm gold; his salary was...

Karnataka Lokayukta officials on Friday raided the house of a former clerk in the state and found assets worth Rs 30 crore. The huge sum was beyond any known sources of income of the former employee of Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Limited (KRIDL).

Kalakappa Nidagundi, who worked in Koppal and had a monthly salary of Rs 15,000, was found to own a whopping 24 houses. The man also owned four plots and 40 acres of farmland. He also owned four vehicles. 350 grams of gold, worth crores, was also found in his possession. He also owned 1.5 kg of silver. The assets were in his, his wife and his brother's names.

He, along with an ex-engineer, allegedly swindled Rs 72 crore by forging fake documents for 96 incompleteprojects.

The raid was part of the Lokayukta officials' campaign against government officials suspected of amassing disproportionate wealth, reported NDTV. Raids were also conducted in Hassan, Chikkabalapura, Chitradurga, and Bengaluru.

Last month, they searchedthe premises of eight officials, including an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, and recovered unaccounted wealth of Rs 37.42 crore.

Premises linked to IAS officer Vasanthi Amar B V, who serves as Special Deputy Commissioner at the Railway Infrastructure Development Company, were also raised. Officials recovered assets worth Rs 9.03 crore, including three sites, four houses, three acres of agricultural land to the tune of Rs 7.4 crore, ornaments worth Rs 12 lakh, and vehicles worth Rs 90 lakh, reported the channel.

"A case has been registered against ZM Chincholikar, Executive Engineer, Divisional Office, Koppal, and Kalakappa Nidgundi, Former Office Assistant (Outsourced), Sub-Divisional Office," said the office.