The Karnataka Lokayukta is under severe scrutiny for allegedly suppressing crucial details that connect Excise Minister R.B. Thimmapur with the accused in a major extortion scandal that has rocked the state’s bureaucracy.
The case revolves around Ningappa, who was arrested for extorting money from government officials by posing as a Lokayukta representative. He reportedly collected huge sums, promising protection and favourable postings. During the investigation, Ningappa revealed that he had personally arranged a meeting between Lokayukta SP Srinath Joshi and Excise Minister Thimmapur at a luxury hotel in Bengaluru to discuss transfers and related deals.
However, despite the accused directly naming Minister Thimmapur, the Lokayukta office did not mention the minister’s name in either its official letter to the state government or in its press statements. This deliberate omission has now raised eyebrows and sparked suspicions that the Lokayukta institution is shielding the
minister.A letter dated June 23, 2025, written by Lokayukta Registrar Chandrashekar Reddy to Chief Secretary Dr. Shalini Rajneesh confirmed that SP Srinath Joshi had colluded with Ningappa and violated the All India Services Rules, 1968, by engaging in activities that amounted to extortion. The letter recommended disciplinary action against Joshi and requested updates on the action taken. Yet, nowhere in this official communication was Minister Thimmapur’s involvement mentioned, even though Ningappa had named him.
Earlier, on June 17, 2025, the Lokayukta issued a press statement acknowledging that the accused had invested the extorted money in cryptocurrency and had targeted officers across the state using the Lokayukta’s name. But the statement omitted any reference to Thimmapur despite Ningappa’s confession.
A second press release followed on July 2, reiterating action recommended against SP Joshi and providing details about raids, pending cases and administrative vacancies — but again, Minister Thimmapur’s alleged link was missing.
This glaring omission has ignited allegations of a deliberate cover-up. Ravikrishna Reddy, the state president of Karnataka Rashtra Samiti, accused the Lokayukta of protecting both the minister and the tainted Lokayukta officials involved in the scam. Activist HM Venkatesh from the Real Fighters Forum claimed that the omission of Thimmapur’s name in both official documents shows that the Lokayukta is shielding the minister, eroding public trust in the anti-corruption watchdog.
The scale of the scam has deeply embarrassed the government. Ningappa is said to have demanded a ‘monthly fee’ of Rs 3 lakh — codenamed ‘3 kg rice’ — from Excise Department officers in return for protection from Lokayukta raids. He also allegedly collected lakhs from Excise Department Commissioners and invested the illegal proceeds in cryptocurrency.
The probe has revealed that the money was funnelled through hawala channels, and Ningappa had ties with senior leaders of the Congress party. Some of the bribe-givers were found to be close to a Mysuru minister and an advisor to the Chief Minister, adding a political dimension to the scandal.
The Lokayukta police even searched SP Srinath Joshi’s residence but did not formally suspend him, raising more questions about the sincerity of the investigation.
Meanwhile, the controversy has reminded people of the infamous Bhaskara Rao scandal during Siddaramaiah’s first term as Chief Minister. Back then, Lokayukta Bhaskara Rao’s son Ashwin Rao was arrested for running an extortion racket from within the Lokayukta office. That scandal forced Bhaskara Rao to resign and led to the creation of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), which stripped the Lokayukta of its police powers — powers that have since been restored.
