ACB raids: Pipeline of this Karnataka engineer's house crammed with currency notes

Cash and jewellery found during the ACB raid on the residence of joint director of Agriculture, Rudreshappa in Shivamogga. Credit: DH Photo

The Anti-Corruption Bureau sleuths verify documents at the residence of an official in Bengaluru on Wednesday. Credit: DH Photo

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) sleuths were in for a shock during a raid at the house of PWD Jewargi subdivision junior engineer Shantagouda Biradar at Gubbi colony here on Wednesday when they found currency notes worth Rs 13 lakh in the denomination of Rs 500 stuffed inside the pipeline.

The officials also found bundles of notes at the PoP ceiling of the hall. The raid yielded Rs 54,50,000 in cash, 2 houses in Kalaburagi, one plot in Bengaluru, 36 acres of farmland, 3 cars, a school bus, a two-wheeler, Rs 15 lakh worth of household utensils and 100 grams of gold.

A team of ACB sleuths pounced on Shantanagouda’s residence in Kalaburagi at 5.30 am. Biradar, who was staying on the first floor of the building, suspected the ACB raid and refused to open the door for about 20 minutes.

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The officials grew suspicious that the JE could have stashed cash inside the pipe when the latter’s son was seen frequenting near the pipeline and got the pipeline drilled in the afternoon. Much to their shock, bundles of the currency notes started flowing out of the pipe. The JE has stuffed nearly Rs 13 lakh inside the pipe, the sources said.

The officials have information that Shantanagouda might have shifted huge amounts of cash to other locations and an investigation is going on in this direction also.

A team of ACB sleuths led by North-East zone SP Mahesh Meghannavar raided the farmhouse located on the outskirts of Hangaraga (B) village in Yadrami taluk and the PWD office at Jewargi town. The officials found a gravel crushing machine in the farmhouse.

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Shantanagouda did not cooperate with the officials initially and didn’t hand over the locker key of the house. The locker was opened by using a cutter, said ACB sources.

He has been working as a junior engineer in the Jewargi subdivision for 10 years. SP Meghannavar said the ACB officials from Kalaburagi, Bidar and Yadgir inspected three places belonging to Shantanagouda.

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