Bengaluru: A Karnataka government executive engineer working in the Rural Development department has been absconding ever since the Income Tax department raided his house in Haveri and two rooms of Rajmahal Hotel in Gandhinagar, and seized Rs 1.5 Crore in cash along with other items.
The accused identified as Narayan Gowda Patil was under the I-T department’s scanner since some time following suspicion that he was collecting bribes from contractors.
Though the I-T department is yet to confirm if the money seized has got anything to do with the upcoming elections, the incident has turned political with the BJP accusing the Congress-Janata Dal (S) coalition of collecting money for the elections.
State BJP President B S Yeddyurappa has demanded an answer from State Rural Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda stating that the money seized by the I-T department was accumulated under his nose. He further stated that the the I-T officials should make further enquiry into the matter and also blamed H D Kumaraswamy, Krishna Byre Gowda and Siddaramaiah in the issue.
