Caught on tape, govt official spills beans

Raju said utmost ‘‘care was taken to make everything seem natural for the unsuspecting guest’’. They even rehearsed to ensure that everything went right after a plan was chalked to get some official speak against the ‘‘corrupt KEA chairman’’, Raghu.

The tape shows Parameshwarappa as saying that complaining to the District Minister about ‘‘Raghu would not help as both are from the same lot’’. He adds: ‘‘I had raised objections at many points. However, even in the demolition of 120-odd stalls, the chairman continued to amass wealth.’’

The ex-mayor had earlier filed a complaint with the Karnataka Lokayukta, charging Raghu with various acts of corruption. The KEA chairman had labelled all the allegations as ‘‘politically motivated’’. Subsequently, Narayana and Raju hatched a plan to record an official version on the corruption charges.

According to Parameshwarappa’s admission, the KEA permitted illegal demolition of 120 stalls at the exhibition grounds, and reconstructed an arched gateway at the cost of Rs 5 lakh, in violation of a Lokayukta directive. Entry tickets to the ground were being sold by Raghu’s henchmen, he alleged.

Parameshwarappa has filed a complaint, stating he was threatened by Narayana to part with some important documents and expressed disappointment at being ‘‘let down’’ by one whom he had approached in good faith. Narayana said his intentions were only to ‘‘expose the thoroughly corrupt Raghu’’.