Bidar: In a major breakthrough in the sensational Rs 45 crore scam that rocked the Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University in Bidar, Lokayukta police have arrested six accused, including former Vice-Chancellor H. D. Narayanaswamy, after the alleged financial fraud was found to be genuine during investigation.
The arrested accused include former Vice-Chancellor H.D. Narayanaswamy, former financial controller K.L. Suresh, along with Mrutyunjaya Hiremath, Bopanna, Manjunath and Ramagonda.
According to Lokayukta officials, the scam took place during 2017-18 when university officials and private suppliers allegedly siphoned off more than Rs 45 crore of public money by creating fake purchase bills for materials that were never actually procured.
Investigators revealed that fake invoices and fabricated records were allegedly prepared in the name of purchasing equipment and materials for the university. However, during verification, officials found that several purchases existed only on paper and no actual goods had been supplied.
The scam first came under the scanner in 2021 when Lokayukta police conducted raids and initiated an investigation into financial irregularities in the university administration. As the probe intensified, Lokayukta teams carried out simultaneous raids at more than 25 locations across Karnataka on September 10, 2025, and seized crucial documents related to the fraud.
Officials said the investigation established the involvement of senior university officers, staff members and owners of private enterprises in the scam. “The accused, in collusion with private firms, created fake bills and misappropriated crores of rupees from the university funds without actual procurement of materials,” sources said.
Following the collection of evidence, the Bidar District Sessions Court issued warrants against the accused, after which Lokayukta police launched an operation and arrested all six individuals.
The arrested accused were later produced before the court and are expected to be remanded to judicial custody as further investigation continues.
The probe was carried out under the guidance of Lokayukta ADGP Manish Kharbikar, IGP Dr. A. S. Subramanyeshwara and SP (C&T) Badrinath. The arrests were executed by the Bidar Lokayukta team led by DSP Hanumantharaya under the supervision of SP Siddaraju.
The case had triggered statewide outrage after allegations surfaced that huge amounts of public money meant for educational and institutional development had been diverted through fraudulent transactions.
Lokayukta officials indicated that further investigation is underway to identify additional beneficiaries and trace the money trail linked to the multi-crore scam.
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