Lokayukta traps KAS officer , assistant in ₹40,000 bribe case in Shivamogga
Shivamogga: In a significant anti-corruption operation, officials of the Karnataka Lokayukta have trapped and detained a National Highways Special Land Acquisition Officer and a revenue office assistant for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹40,000.
According to a statement issued by the Lokayukta police, Siddalinga Reddy, Special Land Acquisition Officer for National Highway 206, and Rajesh, assistant at the Holalur Nadakacheri, were caught in the operation. Acting on Reddy’s alleged instructions, Rajesh was accepting ₹40,000 near Nehru Stadium in Shivamogga on February 14 evening when Lokayukta officials conducted a raid and apprehended him with the cash.
Officials stated that Siddalinga Reddy has been named as the first accused in the case, while Rajesh is the second accused.
The complainant, Keshavamurthy, a resident of Othighatta village in Shivamogga, had rented out his Ertiga car to the Special Land Acquisition Office for the past two years. He was yet to receive the rental dues for November last year. When he approached the office seeking payment, Siddalinga Reddy allegedly demanded ₹40,000 as a bribe to release the pending amount.
Keshavamurthy subsequently lodged a complaint with the Lokayukta. Based on the complaint, officials laid a trap and caught Rajesh red-handed while receiving the bribe amount. Both the accused have been taken into custody, and further investigation is underway.
The operation was carried out under the guidance of Shivamogga Superintendent of Police M.S. Kaulapure. Lokayukta DySP Chandrashekhar led the raid, assisted by Police Inspectors K.P. Rudresh, Gururaj Mailar and Veerabasappa L. Kusalapur, along with a team of officers and staff, the release added.
Separate disproportionate assets cases
In a related development earlier this week, Lokayukta officials conducted simultaneous raids on the residences of four government officers on charges of amassing assets disproportionate to their known sources of income. The raids were carried out on February 12 at multiple locations.
Those raided include H.M. Janardhan, Superintendent of the Karnataka Residential Educational Institutions Society, Arjun, Assistant Executive Engineer (Civil) of BESCOM in Davanagere, Somalingappa, Assistant Director in the Land Records Department in Dharwad, and Purushottam Das Hegde, Chief Engineer of the State Highway Development Project under PWD.
Officials said movable and immovable properties worth crores were detected during the searches. In Janardhan’s case alone, raids at six locations in Bengaluru Rural district reportedly led to the seizure of assets including house properties, sites and agricultural land. Gold, vehicles and other valuables worth ₹2.57 crore were found, along with immovable assets valued at ₹3.20 crore.
In a flat occupied by Janardhan’s friend Sujay Shetty, cash amounting to ₹1.70 crore was recovered. Authorities stated that Janardhan had allegedly amassed assets 216 per cent higher than his known sources of income. Cases have been registered and further investigation is in progress.
