In a recent development, the Karnataka Lokayukta police arrested Natraj, a Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) revenue inspector, on charges of accepting a bribe of Rs 5 lakh. The alleged fix was for issuing 'khatas,' property assessment documents to 79 flats in an apartment building situated in Bengaluru's Kodigehalli area.
As per the Lokayukta police, Natraj, who served in the Mahadevapura zone, demanded Rs 10,000 per 'khata,' totalling Rs 7.90 lakh for the 79 flats. Reportedly, Natraj asked the complainant, Manjunath, to pay 60% of the amount upfront, i.e., Rs 5 lakh as an advance payment. He assured that the remaining Rs 2.90 lakh could be paid after the issuance of the documents.
However, authorities caught the inspector red-handed while accepting the initial payment of Rs 5 lakh at the BBMP office in Mahadevapura. The bribe was allegedly collected through an intermediary named Pavan. Both accused were charged under Section 7(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Following the arrest, the police conducted a raid at Natraj's residence. They made substantial seizures, including 900 gm of gold jewellery, 7 kg of silver items, and four luxury cars, namely, an Audi Q3, an Innova Crysta, a Hyundai Verna, and a KIA Sonet. Additionally, cash amounting to Rs 80,000 was also confiscated. Furthermore, documents related to a property in Kodigehalli were found in the name of the official's wife.
The crackdown on corruption within the BBMP continues as Lokayukta officials and judicial officers are actively searching 45 BBMP office locations, with a particular focus on revenue and town planning departments. The move comes in response to complaints of corruption, management irregularities, and pending files within the organization.
