India, June 20 -- Karnataka's anti-corruption watchdog, the Lokayukta, has come under the spotlight after a dismissed constable allegedly impersonated senior officers to extort crores from government officials, including a tehsildar and BBMP engineer, and a serving IPS officer is now under scrutiny for his purported role in the racket, officers aware of the matter said on Thursday.

The investigation, which began after a Tumakuru RTO received a suspicious call in May demanding a bribe to avoid a raid, has led to the arrest of 45-year-old Ningappa Savant, a former constable, they added.

The authorities alleged that he operated a network of fake identities, siphoning off over Rs.4.15 crore from officials across departments, including trans...