Chief engineer of the Technical Vigilance Cell under the Commissioner (TVCC), N. Devaraj, investigating the bogus bills scam in all 28 assembly constituencies and the Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) racket, has dashed off a letter to BBMP commissioner M. K. Shankarlinge Gowda asking for more security and installation of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras in his office as he and his staff are receiving threatening phone calls.
BBMP sources reveal the officer has not only received threats on the phone but some people have even barged into his chamber to warn him he could pay dearly if he gave a report exposing the rot in the system. "Mr Devaraj's plea for more security and CCTV camers has been okayed by the BBMP commissioner and the BBMP IT advisor will now study his chamber and the corridor leading to it to find a suitable location for the CCTV cameras," they add.
When contacted, the officer who played a key role in bringing to light the Rs 1,539 crore bogus bills scam in the three BBMP divisions of Rajarajeshwarinagar, Gandhinagar and Malleswaram, admitted he and other TVCC staff were being threatened by “some vested interests” who wanted a favourable report on the scams they were investigating. “If the CCTV cameras are installed they can record the people visiting the office which can be used as evidence," he said adding he had written to the BBMP commissioner asking for them.
It may be recalled that corporators had joined hands in the council to vehemently demand that Mr Devaraj be kept out of the TVCC. Former BBMP chief Siddaiah, who entrusted investigation of the bogus bills scam to the TVCC, was transferred and allegedly left to languish without a posting for quite some time as a punishment of sorts. He was later made principal secretary, education.