Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Chandru Lamani was on Saturday arrested by the Karnataka Lokayukta, the anti-corruption ombudsman, after he was allegedly caught red-handed while accepting a Rs 5 lakh bribe, India Today reported.
The amount was part of an alleged total demand of Rs 11 lakh, Deccan Herald reported.
Two aides of the Shirahatti MLA, Manjunath Valmiki and Gurunaik, were also arrested during the Lokayukta operation at a hospital run by Lamani in Laxmeshwar town.
The persons accused in the matter had allegedly demanded the bribe from the complainant, who is a class-1 contractor from Gadag district, to approve construction work pertaining to the Minor Irrigation Department, retaining wall on either side of the road, The New Indian Express quoted a Lokayukta statement as saying.
The work included the construction of a retaining wall along a road, which had been assigned to a contractor.
A complaint had been filed under the Prevention of Corruption Act, after which the Lokayukta laid a trap and arrested Lamani and his two aides while allegedly accepting part of the demanded bribe amount.
They were produced before a people’s representatives’ special court in Bengaluru, Deccan Herald reported.
The three are being questioned and more evidence is being gathered, India Today reported.
Lamani’s supporters on Saturday held a protest in Laxmeshwar alleging that leaders of the state’s ruling Congress were behind what they claimed was a conspiracy, The Hindu reported.
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