The Lokayukta has discovered 13 cryptocurrency wallets Ningappa allegedly had. He reportedly invested in Binance and Bitget cryptocurrencies. (File photo)Karnataka’s Lokayukta police have searched an IPS officer’s home after the arrest of a dismissed head constable accused of extorting Rs 4.19 crore from government officials by posing as a Lokayukta officer and investing extortion money in cryptocurrencies.The IPS officer, Srinath Mahadev Joshi, served as superintendent of police (Bengaluru city-1) with the Lokayukta until June 12. G Ningappa, also known as Ningappa Sawanth, the former head constable from Chitradurga, was allegedly helped by a senior Lokayukta police officer in his extortion activities.The Lokayukta said in a statement on Tuesday that 35 cases had been registered at various police stations where government officials, mainly from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the excise department, were approached for extortion money. It is suspected that Ningappa used the names not only of Lokayukta-attached police officers but also of the Lokayukta and the Upa Lokayukta.Ningappa is accused of calling government officials over the phone to extort money ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 25 lakh.Investigations have established that Ningappa collected approximately Rs 58 lakh from excise officials alone. He received money through various channels, including UPI transfers, and the money was subsequently transferred to his cryptocurrency portfolios.The Lokayukta has discovered 13 cryptocurrency wallets Ningappa allegedly had. He reportedly invested in Binance and Bitget cryptocurrencies.How did the con come to light?A police officer said that Ningappa frequently visited the Lokayukta headquarters but went largely unnoticed. He is said to have operated for six months and been meeting certain IPS officers who provided him with confidential information regarding upcoming raids and pending reports about government officials accused of wrongdoing.Story continues below this adArmed with such information, Ningappa bought multiple SIM cards in the name of government officials and used several IPS officers’ names on caller IDs. He used the same SIM cards to call his extortion targets.Lokayukta officials had been watching Ningappa’s confident movement to the IPS officer’s chambers in the headquarters. A police officer said that Srinath Mahadev Joshi had even visited Ningappa’s home in Chitradurga and was felicitated by his family. “We also have records of Ningappa visiting Joshi’s residence in Bengaluru multiple times,” an officer added.Lokayukta under scannerNingappa’s arrest has given rise to several speculations, especially at the bureaucratic level as some officials who spoke to indianexpress.com suspect the involvement of top officials of the anti-corruption agency.However, this is not the first time Lokayukta has come under public scrutiny. In 2015, Lokayukta Justice Y Bhaskar Rao had to step down after his son Ashwin Rao was arrested on charges of running an extortion racket from the agency’s offices. Bhaskar Rao was also named as one of the accused in the case. Following the controversy, the then Congress government shut the Lokayukta and established the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). However, the BJP government later abolished the ACB and revived the Lokayukta.Story continues below this adLokayukta head B S Patil has directed officials to initiate action against suspects, sources said. He has formally requested the government to establish a dedicated “vigilance wing” within the Lokayukta structure. The proposed wing would operate under a sitting district judge’s supervision, ensuring continuous oversight of police activities and preventing future misconduct.Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:pune