SHIVAMOGGA: In a major crackdown on corruption, the Karnataka Lokayukta police caught a senior KAS (Karnataka Administrative Service) officer and a village assistant red-handed while they were allegedly accepting a bribe to release pending dues for a hired vehicle.
The Accused
The officials arrested have been identified as:
- Siddalinga Reddy: Senior KAS Officer and Special Land Acquisition Officer for National Highway-206.
- Rajesh: Village Assistant (Grama Sahayaka) at Holalur Gram Panchayat.
Background of the Case
The complainant, V. Keshavamurthy, a resident of Otighatta village, had leased his Maruti Ertiga car to the office of the Special Land Acquisition Officer for National Highway projects for the past two years.
According to the complaint, the rental payments for the vehicle had been pending since November last year. When Keshavamurthy approached the office to clear the arrears, the officer, Siddalinga Reddy, allegedly demanded a bribe of ₹40,000 to process the file and release the funds.
The Trap and Arrest
The officer reportedly instructed the complainant to hand over the bribe money through Rajesh (the village assistant). Unwilling to pay the bribe, Keshavamurthy approached the Shivamogga Lokayukta police and filed a formal complaint.
Following the complaint, the Lokayukta team laid a strategic trap on Saturday. Both Siddalinga Reddy and Rajesh were caught red-handed while accepting the bribe amount of ₹40,000.
Legal Action
The Lokayukta police have seized the bribe money and taken both individuals into custody. A case has been registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act, and further investigations are underway to determine if there are other such instances of corruption involving the accused.
