Less than a week after raiding the premises of an IPS officer, Madhya Pradesh Lokayukta Police Tuesday unearthed properties running into crores of rupees allegedly owned by a senior official of the state industry department. By evening, anti-corruption police found details of nine properties, including houses, farmhouses and plots, in Jabalpur and Bhopal, and whose value far exceeds the salary joint director (Industries) R C Kuril drew in his 32 years of service. The first complaint against Kuril was from his brother-in-law, who works with a local newspaper, said to be unhappy with sale of a house in Colonel’s Corner Colony in Bhopal. Most of Kuril’s properties are in and around Jabalpur. His entire salary during his government service, including years spent in the state electricity board, is around Rs 80 lakh. The search at his Jabalpur house also yielded Rs 3 lakh in cash, police said. The officer said he would prove his innocence in court. “I made some innocent mistakes but never indulged in corruption,” he claimed. He said he owns only two houses in Jabalpur whose value has increased over the years. The police said they are verifying allegations that Kuril owns properties outside Madhya Pradesh. The police have got details of PAN cards belonging to Kuril’s family members, besides his bank accounts and a locker.
