Pic: Officials from the Lokayukta carried out a raid on Tuesday at the Koppal CMC office and examined the recordsKoppal: Lokayukta officials conducted raids on the residences of city municipal council officers on Tuesday, alleging misappropriation of govt funds. The operation was led by five teams under the supervision of Lokayukta DSP Vasanth Kumar, comprising police officers Vijay Kumar, Chandrappa, Nagaratna, Shaila, and Amaresh Hubballi, along with their staff. The raids targeted the homes of junior engineer Somalingappa, revenue inspector Ujwal, contractors Shakeel Patel, brother of municipal council president Amjad Patel, and Praveen Kandari. Officials scrutinised documents and records found during their searches. Reports indicate that approximately Rs 10 crore was allegedly misappropriated from the 2023-24 municipal grants allocated for 336 projects. The raids were initiated following complaints regarding incomplete works, funds being withdrawn without project execution, and works lacking official approvals. Lokayukta personnel also raided the residence of junior engineer Somalingappa in Shivaganga Nagar. Sources said that this officer, despite lacking the qualifications to supervise civil works, was in the same position for over ten years, successfully avoiding transfers. “The verification of documents is currently in progress, and information will be released once it is finalised,” stated Lokayukta sources.
