The video of Deputy Range Forest Officer (DRFO) seeking a bribe from a farmer seems to have gone viral, according to Indian media stories. A video taken in Kanathi village under Chikkamagaluru Forest Division made national headlines and people have demanded the officer be disciplined.
The officer, who’s identified as Veerabhadra Nayak, is seen in the video going through a farm that has been destroyed recently by a wild elephant attack in which areca nut and banana crops have been planted. Nayak was appointed to survey the damage and give government compensation to the farmer as part of his official responsibilities, the officer says.
The officer then asks for “money for expenses” from the farmer for it. “If you give money for expenses, I will increase the amount and you will get more compensation from the government. If you don’t pay, I will only record 65,” the officer says in the video. The farmer refused the bribe and is heard saying he is not going to pay.
The officer recorded the damage as 65 trees (the actual figure) before leaving the site. The secret recording was posted on X (formerly Twitter) by Ravi Keerthi Gowda, who tagged Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre and department official handles. For the first time, it quickly spread and netizens wondered how a government employee would exploit a poor farmer who is already on the verge of a financial drain.
A video allegedly showing a Karnataka Forest Department staff member asking a farmer for a bribe has gone viral on social media, triggering widespread outrage.
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The clip, which appears to show the official openly seeking money under the pretext of “expenses”, has raised serious… pic.twitter.com/tpVbEjnuzk
Such actions are, they say, not merely the corruption of people but also the corruption of the state by inflating compensation claims. The officer is still not identified and there are no official statements from the Forest Department to suspend or investigate the incident in Kanathi village, but sources close to Minister Eshwar Khandre stated the department is aware of the incident and will carry out an internal investigation.
Farmers along the Western Ghats and in the surrounding areas face continuous human-wildlife conflict. This incident has triggered a debate on the transparency of the compensation process and the need for stricter accountability for field-level officials.
