Karnataka Lokayukta corruption case: Ashwin Rao detained at his house in Hyderabad

BENGALURU: Lokayukta Justice Y. Bhaskar Rao’s son Ashwin Y., the prime accused in the Lokayukta corruption case, was nabbed by a team of Special Investigation Team (SIT) officials at his house in Hyderabad on Monday morning.

Interestingly, the SIT officials have not detained him in connection with the extortion case filed by Bengaluru Urban Zilla Panchayat Executive Engineer M.N. Krishnamurthy, but in connection with a fresh case filed by P.B. Channabasappa. The complainant was raided by the Lokayukta in March 2013, when he was an executive engineer of Chitradurga Zilla Panchayat. He was allegedly found with disproportionate assets worth Rs 1.02 crore.

Around 10.30 am on Monday, he filed the complaint with the Lokayukta police, stating that Ashwin had extorted money from him promising a clean chit and a B report from the Lokayukta police in connection with the case. Channabasappa stated in the complaint that he met Ashwin in Hyderabad in April this year along with the other accused V. Bhaskar and Ashok Kumar.

MLA Manohar Tahsildar’s personal assistant Shivayogi Hiremath too had allegedly accompanied them. Ashwin allegedly demanded Rs 20 lakh to help Channabasappa in the case and had also received some money. Later, the gang could not be reached by Channabasappa.

On Monday, the Lokayukta police transferred the case to the SIT around 11 am. But the SIT team was at Ashwin’s house even earlier, around 8.30 am, and picked him up in this connection.

Ashwin’s counsel Sandeep Patil, who filed an interim bail application before the Lokayukta Special Court in the evening, took objection to the manner in which the arrest was carried out. “The FIR was filed at 10.30 am and transferred to the SIT at 11 am. How can the police detain him even before the complaint was filed,” he argued.

DCP Labhu Ram, a member of the SIT, told the court that Ashwin was in their custody and they would produce him before the court in due course. Later, Judge V.G. Bopaiah asked the public prosecutor to file objections to the bail petition.

SIT sources said that Ashwin will be brought to the city early on Tuesday morning and will be produced later in the day. “His custody will be sought as we need to question him in connection with multiple cases. It is likely that he will questioned about demanding a diamond necklace worth Rs 25 lakh from MLC Saravana,” an official said.