Assets exceeding sources of income: Udupi CMC chief suspended

Udupi: D Manjunathayya, senior lecturer at government teachers training institute at Mangaluru and Udupi, has been suspended on charges of amassing assets which are disproportionate to his sources of income. He was also the former commissioner of Udupi city municipal council.

Manjunathayya will be kept under suspension until the enquiry is completed states the suspension order dated February 23, 2019 states, under the Karnataka Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) rules 1957.

Since there were repeated complaints against the accused for accumulating wealth illegally, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) conducted a raid against the official. Incidentally, a case in this connection was registered with Udupi police on Dec 27t 2018. On December 28, a raid was conducted in Manjunathayya’s apartment in ‘Priyadarshini Complex’ Manipal, his house at Birur, Kadur taluk in Chikkamagaluru district and also his office.

During investigation, it was learnt that he had amassed 89.40 percent wealth apart from his known source of income. Since there are possibilities that the officer may amass more wealth or cause obstacles during the investigation, he has been suspended as per the directions from Karnataka governor.

It is worth noting that Manjunathayya had earlier functioned as municipal commissioner of Udupi municipality. In October 2017, the people of Udupi district had taken a protest ‘CMC Commissioner Hatao’ demanding his removal. The protestors then, had demanded that the official be deputed back to his parent department as he lack technical knowledge and was also corrupt.