Bribery Crackdown: Lokayukta Catches Officials in the Act

Lokayukta officials apprehended Hassan City Municipal Commissioner T N Narasimha Murthy and engineer Venkatesh for accepting a bribe of Rs 1.5 lakh from contractor Sunil Kumar. Similar actions occurred in Bengaluru, with Suresh from the Karnataka Appellate Tribunal caught accepting a bribe of Rs 60,000.

In a significant anti-corruption operation, Hassan City Municipal Commissioner T N Narasimha Murthy was caught red-handed by Lokayukta officials while taking a bribe of Rs 1.5 lakh from a contractor. Engineer Venkatesh was also apprehended during the operation.

This action followed a complaint from contractor Sunil Kumar, who accused Murthy of demanding the bribe to clear a bill. Upon securing the accused, Lokayukta officials confirmed the recovery of the bribe amount and stated that the investigation continues.

In a similar operation in Bengaluru, Suresh, the Office Superintendent of Karnataka Appellate Tribunal, was arrested for accepting a bribe of Rs 60,000. The complaint was filed by Basavaraju Nadikeshwara Matha, alleging that Suresh demanded the bribe for securing a stay on a court order.

(With inputs from agencies.)