The Janata Dal (Secular) has sought a comprehensive and independent investigation into alleged financial transactions worth crores of rupees and corruption claims linked to the Hassan Deputy Commissioner’s office, citing leaked WhatsApp screenshots that allegedly name senior district officials.
A JDS legislative delegation comprising party legislature leader C.B. Suresh Babu, Legislative Council member T.A. Sharavana and MLA Rajugowda Patil met Karnataka Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh on Wednesday and submitted a representation demanding an inquiry.
According to the delegation, the leaked screenshots refer to the Hassan Deputy Commissioner, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Sub-Divisional Magistrate and the Deputy Commissioner’s personal assistant, among other officials. The delegation alleged that the screenshots contain details of financial transactions worth crores of rupees conducted in the names of these officials. The allegations have not been established through an investigation.
The representation also referred to messages allegedly mentioning proposals involving lakhs of rupees in the names of the Deputy Commissioner and Sub-Divisional Magistrate. It said the messages contained information about the approval and disposal of files linked to three crushers in Sakleshpur.
The JDS delegation called for the officials, intermediaries and other individuals named in the messages to be investigated. It also sought the collection of their mobile-phone and financial transaction records, along with the seizure of the phones from which the screenshots were allegedly created and leaked. The delegation said this would be necessary to establish whether the contents of the screenshots were genuine.
Sharavana said the matter should not be limited to an internal inquiry by the district administration. He called for a high-level investigation by the Lokayukta or another competent independent agency, arguing that an internal departmental inquiry would not establish the truth if the allegations involved officials of the Deputy Commissioner’s office.
Speaking to reporters after meeting the Chief Secretary, Sharavana said criminal cases should be registered and strict action taken if elements of an offence were found under the Prevention of Corruption Act and other applicable laws. His remarks were part of the JDS delegation’s demand for an investigation and did not establish criminal liability against any individual named in the allegations.
The allegations centre on the way files connected to crusher permissions and approvals are handled within the district administration. Such files can involve multiple levels of scrutiny and approval, making the authenticity, origin and context of the leaked messages central to any inquiry. The delegation has asked that these issues be examined through an independent process rather than being decided solely on the basis of the screenshots.
The representation submitted to the Chief Secretary seeks verification of the messages, examination of the officials and intermediaries named in them, and scrutiny of related mobile and financial records. The next step will depend on the state administration’s response to the demand for an independent investigation.
