A 51-year-old government official in Ballari district of Karnataka, who is a taluk surveyor, was arrested by Lokayukta police for demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹18,000 from a resident seeking a layout road map. The arrest was made on Wednesday in a trap operation run by the anti-corruption agency.
The accused is Hanumanthappa, a taluk surveyor. The official allegedly approached a resident and asked for money from him for the layout road map required for official purposes, Lokayukta police said. The report was made by a resident of the MRV Layout area who approached Lokayukta authorities after being asked to pay a bribe.
The complainant told the anti-corruption agency that Hanumanthappa had asked for ₹18,000 to process and provide the layout road map. The resident decided not to pay the bribe, and he contacted the Lokayukta police and filed a complaint about the alleged demand.
After checking the complaint, Lokayukta officials planned a trap operation to catch the accused in the act. In the course of the operation, the complainant was asked to meet the surveyor and hand over the money under police supervision. A team of Lokayukta officers closely monitored the exchange.
According to a senior police officer, the trap was successfully executed when the surveyor received the bribe amount from the complainant. Immediately after the deal, Lokayukta officers intervened and detained the accused. The tainted currency notes were recovered, and the officer was taken into custody for further investigation.
The arrest is seen as another step taken by the Karnataka Lokayukta in its fight against corruption within government agencies. Public servants are to perform their duties without the potential for illegal gratification and such action is to be taken against those who do not comply with the law, officials said.
Following the arrest, a case was registered under Section 7(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018. The provision deals with public servants who are accused of seeking or attempting to obtain undue advantage in the performance of official duties.
Investigators are now examining the circumstances of the alleged demand and acceptance of the bribe. They may also look into official records of the layout road map request and whether similar complaints have been raised in the past. The surveyor has been taken into custody as a result of the investigation.
The incident has once more raised concern about corruption in public offices, especially in the fields of land records, surveys and property documentation. Construction approvals, property transactions and legal verification are all dependent on such documents and transparency and accountability are required in these processes.
Lokayukta officials have repeatedly warned people not to pay bribes and to report such demands to anti-corruption authorities. Citizens’ complaints at this time, they said, are critical to exposing corrupt practices and ensuring that government services are delivered fairly and lawfully.
The Ballari Lokayukta police are still investigating, and more legal proceedings will also be undertaken based on the evidence gathered from the trap operation. The authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to pursuing corruption and holding public officials to account for any misuse of their position.
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