The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday said properties worth Rs 7.48 crore of a retired chief engineer of the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) have been attached under the anti-money laundering law. The provisionally attached movable and immovable properties of SM Basavaraju include some deposits kept in bank accounts, 3.41 kg gold and diamond jewellery, two residential sites, a commercial complex and six residential flats in Bengaluru and Mysuru, it said in a statement.
The action has been taken under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and the assets are worth a total Rs 7.48 crore, the central agency said..
The ED case against the retired officer is based on a complaint and chargesheet filed by the Karnataka Lokayukta in 2018 wherein it was alleged that "Basavaraju had amassed wealth beyond his known sources of income and was in possession of disproportionate assets worth Rs 4.45 crore in excess to his known sources of income,” it said.
The agency said its probe found that the officer had amassed wealth beyond his legitimate sources of income and purchased various movable and immovable properties in his name or as benami properties, in the name of his family members, including his mother-in-law.
This development comes close to the heels of Income Tax search and seizure operations in multiple locations in Bengaluru and in Bagalkot district in connection with alleged discrepancies in the major schemes implemented by the Irrigation Department. Earlier this month, the I-T officials had unearthed undisclosed income of Rs 750 crore from 40 companies and individuals. Among those who were probed included a BMTC employee Umesh, who is reportedly an aide of former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa. Even after Basavaraj Bommai took over, Umesh had remained within the Chief Minister 's as a staff. He was sent back to BMTC after the probe.
(With PTI inputs)