BJP asks Siddaramaiah to hand over lottery scam to CBI

BENGALURU: A day after a senior IPS officer was suspended in connection with an alleged lottery scam, senior BJP leader and Union Minister D V Sadananda Gowda said the probe should be handed over to CBI as "top officials and some ministers are involved in it".

"...just because top officials and some of the senior leaders-ministers of the present government are involved in this (single-digit lottery scam) - I think this cannot be investigated by the police of Karnataka. If they are fair enough, they should refer the matter to the CBI so that there could be clean and neat investigation, and truth comes out," he told reporters here.

Alok Kumar, Additional Commissioner of Police (West Bengaluru), was yesterday suspended for his alleged involvement in lottery scam.

A government order said yesterday, Kumar had illegal contact with Pari Rajan, said to be the kingpin in the scam, and not only helped him but also interfered in the investigation process. Rajan is already in police custody.

However, Kumar has denied any kind of involvement in the case and demanded a fair investigation.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had said the action was taken on the basis of a interim report submitted by the CID.

Siddaramaiah who had held a meeting of senior police officials earlier this month, had ordered a CID probe into the alleged scam. He had also said that government would take strict action against those involved in the scam.

Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Suresh Kumar said it was a case of intelligence failure and questioned the intelligence wing for not keeping Siddaramaiah informed for two years.

"How can Home Minister escape from his responsibility? Why did our state intelligence not keep Chief Minister informed for two years? It is a case of intelligence failure, pure and simple. Here is an example of how to weakly handle Home Ministry," he said.

Government had earlier suspended Dharanesh, Superintendent of Police (Lottery Squad) in connection with the case.