ACB traps Tumakuru corporator, engineer

BENGALURU: The sleuths of the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) have arrested a Corporator of the Tumakuru City Corporation and a Junior Engineer after they allegedly received a bribe of Rs 40,000 from a person who had sought sanction for building plan to construct a house.

The accused have been identified as T. S. Karunaradhya alias Kiran, a Corporator of ward number 15 of Tumakuru City Corporation and Vishwanath, a Junior Engineer.

Another accused in the case, Channabasavaradhya, Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) in the corporation, is absconding and efforts are on to nab him.

According to the ACB officials, the complainant had applied for sanctioning of building plan from the corporation.
The accused Channabasavaradhya and Vishwanath had reportedly verbally assured the complainant that they would approve the plan and had asked him to go ahead with the construction.

Trusting them, the complainant constructed the ground floor of the building and again approached the accused officials to enquire about sanctioning building plan.

“When the complainant met them, they allegedly told that the Corporator Karunaradhya was demanding Rs 2 lakh for the approval, and had also threatened that they would demolish the built up ground floor if the complainant did not comply to pay the bribe. The complainant then approached the ACB and filed a complaint,” an official said.

A trap was laid on Thursday and Junior Engineer Vishwanath, was caught red handed while receiving a bribe Rs 40,000 in cash on behalf of the Corporator and the AEE. Vishwanth and the Corporator were arrested and the absconding AEE will be nabbed soon,” an official said.

The three have been booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act, and the arrested duo will be produced before the court, the official added.