Times
of India: Bengaluru: Tuesday, 25 August 2015.
Hotte
Krishna, 49, one of the big wheels in the extortion racket within the
Lokayukta, allegedly had several senior government officials in his grip as he
collected information about them under the RTI Act and extorted them.
He was also
one of the trusted lieutenants of Y Ashwin, son of Lokayukta Justice Y Bhaskar
Rao and main accused in the case, said sources in the special investigation
team (SIT) probing the racket.
"Ashwin's
call detail records showed that Krishna his name was registered as AB Krishna
with the telecom service provider made 35 calls to Ashwin between April 16 and
June 25 this year. He tried to call Ashwin even after the latter's mobile was
switched off. On May 9, soon after the 'extortion' racket came to light,
Krishna made 10 calls," an SIT officer said.
The officer
said Krishna claimed to be the proprietor of Krishna Silks at Weavers Colony in
Gottigere, Bannerghatta Road, and became an associate member of Bangalore Press
Club in 2011. "His meteoric rise in the 'extortion' racket started soon
after this. When Justice Bhaskar Rao became the Lokayukta, he got in touch with
Ashwin. He soon became one of the trusted lieutenants of Ashwin like Bhaskar,
another RTI activist who is now in judicial custody. Both tried to extort
several officials and Krishna targeted engineers of the public works department
(PWD)," said an SIT officer.
Krishna is
named as one of the main accused in the complai8nt lodged by PWD engineer Uday
Shankar, who alleged that Krishna demanded money from him to close a corruption
case against him when he was working in Magadi division of Ramanagaram district
in 2012.
Krishna had
allegedly promised him that he would ensure Lokayukta police do not seek
sanction to prosecute him in the case. His accomplice in the case allegedly
included a clerk from the state police chief's office and the PRO of Lokayukta
Syed Riaz, besides Ashwin.
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