The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday conducted raids at half a dozen offices linked to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) as part of a "comprehensive" money laundering probe against alleged irregularities in the civic body that works for the Greater Bengaluru metropolitan area.
The sources said that the federal probe agency had collected a "good number of" documents along with electronic gadgets during the raids. The sources further claimed that about six offices linked to the BBMP were searched. The searches were conducted under the PMLA.
Raid in connection with irregularities
For those unversed, the probe is linked to a "comprehensive" action by the federal probe agency against some alleged irregularities in the execution of civic works by the corporation including the digging of borewells and installation of Reverse Osmosis (RO) plants among others, the sources said.
BJP councillor filed complaint
The ED has conducted raids based on a complaint lodged by former BBMP councillor N R Ramesh. Ramesh, a BJP leader, told the media that he had complained with the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) on June 16, 2020, about the borewell and RO plants between 2016 and 2019. This scheme was introduced to provide safe drinking water in areas where there is no Cauvery water supply.
He said, "Since it was a multi-crore scam of more than Rs 400 crore pertaining to the works worth Rs 970 crore, the ACB referred the case to the ED, which carried out searches today in the BBMP."
What are alleged irregularities?
According to the BJP leader, the officials, councillors and contractors collectively embezzled Rs 400 crore in 50 out of 66 BBMP zones of Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Dasarahalli, Yelahanka, Mahadevapura and Bommanahalli.
He also alleged that the biggest scam happened in Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Yeshwantpur, Bangalore South, KR Pura, Batarayanapura and Dasarahalli assembly constituencies. Ramesh said he had also complained to the Bengaluru Metropolitan Task Force and Lokayukta.
What did BBMP say?
Regarding the raids, BBMP Engineer-in-Chief B S Prahlad said the ED has started their preliminary investigation and they came for the verification of records pertaining to borewells and RO units set up between 2016 and 2019.
"The ED has started a preliminary investigation and we are cooperating with them. We are handing over documents and we will provide whatever they will ask for," Prahlad said.
(With PTI inputs)
