Udupi Lokayukta Raid Uncovers Illegal File Handling by Outsourced Staff
A surprise inspection conducted by the Karnataka Upa Lokayukta at the senior sub-registrar's office in Udupi taluk has exposed alleged illegal activities involving public property and marriage registration files. The raid, which took place on Friday, led to the registration of a criminal case at the Udupi Town police station, highlighting serious misconduct by outsourced personnel.
Details of the Inspection and Findings
According to the complaint filed by Halamurthy Rao VS, DSP of the Karnataka Lokayukta in Udupi, the Upa Lokayukta made an unannounced visit to the office located at the taluk office complex in Bannanje village, Moodanidambur. During the thorough inspection, investigators discovered that two outsourced staff members were improperly handling official documents.
Sukesh, one of the outsourced employees, was found to have kept eight files in his personal bag, while Sunil, another outsourced staff member, had 35 files stored similarly. In total, 43 files related to property and marriage registrations submitted by the public were recovered from their personal belongings.
Allegations of Criminal Misconduct and Negligence
The investigation revealed that these files had not been entered into the office's inward register, a critical procedural step for tracking official documents. By keeping these records in personal bags without proper registration, the accused are alleged to have engaged in criminal misconduct and misuse of legal processes.
Furthermore, it was reported that Sukesh and Sunil behaved as if they were government officials when interacting with members of the public, despite their outsourced status. This misrepresentation added to the severity of the allegations.
Adding to the controversy, the sub-registrar, Girish, failed to take notice of these irregular activities. It was observed that Sukesh and Sunil carried out their actions with his knowledge and support, raising questions about supervisory negligence.
Legal Action and Case Registration
In response to these findings, a criminal case has been registered at the Udupi Town police station under Crime No. 32/2026. The charges include violations under sections 316(4), 337, 340, 344, and 204, read with section 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
This case underscores the importance of accountability in government offices, particularly when dealing with sensitive documents like property and marriage registrations. The incident has sparked concerns about the oversight of outsourced staff and the need for stricter monitoring to prevent such breaches of public trust.
