Archive · 19 Jun 2025
Karnataka Lokayukta Extortion Racket Involving Officials Unveiled
Some people pretended to be anti-corruption officers to get money from other officials.
They threatened to cause trouble if the officials didn't pay.
A former police officer was caught and arrested for making these calls.
He took the money and put it in secret online money accounts.
Another police officer is also being looked at because he might have gotten some of the money too.
Other officials in different departments were also targeted.
The real anti-corruption officials weren't doing any of this.
An extortion racket using names of Lokayukta officials was exposed following a complaint by a Tumakuru RTO.
Former police constable Ningappa Savant was arrested for allegedly running the extortion scheme.
IPS officer Srinath Joshi is under investigation for being a potential beneficiary of the extortion.
Officials from excise and BBMP departments were also targeted in the extortion attempts.
Ningappa allegedly amassed over ₹4.15 crore in cryptocurrencies through extortion.
- Who
- Former police constable Ningappa Savant, potentially IPS officer Srinath Joshi, and multiple government officials.
- What
- An extortion racket using names of Lokayukta officials was exposed in Karnataka.
- When
- Extortion attempts began in May 2024, leading to arrests in June 2024.
- Where
- Karnataka, with incidents in Tumakuru and Bengaluru.
- Why
- The extortionists aimed to collect money from government officials by threatening Lokayukta investigations.
Allegations
Denials
Extortion
Allegations
Authorities claim the extortion was a direct attempt to defraud officials.
Denials
The accused deny the allegations.
- Main Suspect
- Ningappa Savant (former police constable)
- Alleged Beneficiary
- IPS officer Srinath Joshi
- Total Extorted (approx.)
- Over ₹4.15 crore
- Primary Target
- Government officials
- Modus Operandi
- Threats of Lokayukta raids
- Cryptocurrency Investment
- 13 crypto wallets
- RTO Complaint Date
- May 23, 2024