The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials on Tuesday arrested a private person who collected ‘bribe’ posing as the revenue inspector of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). The accused has been identified as Rangaraju M R, a resident of Vijayanagar.
The complainant had applied online for income certificate.
He had visited the BBMP office in Jayanagar to enquire on the status of the application.
The accused person introduced himself as jurisdictional revenue inspector by the name, Rajanna.
He then demanded a bribe of Rs 900 to issue the income certificate.
The ACB sleuths laid a trap and arrested the accused person while accepting the bribe amount in front of a hotel in Jayanagar 4th block. On verification, ACB sleuths found a fake identity card with his photo.
The ID card, however, had the name of one K N Mallikarjuna, a deputy tahsildar.
“The accused has been booked under section 8 of the PC Act for acting as an agent and collecting bribe for government work. Though the amount he demanded was small, prima facie it looked like a deep-rooted network operating to issue fake income certificates.
The accused had asked the complainant while demanding the bribe if he wanted the income certificate for Rs 30,000 or Rs 50,000 per annum,’’ an official said.
The ACB official said that the accused was explaining why an income certificate is necessary to get admission under Right to Education (RTE), eligibility for a house under Ashraya Housing scheme and many other schemes. Upon a preliminary enquiry, ACB sleuths found that the accused was known as a government servant near the BBMP
office.
“We will examine the income certificates issued at the office to undeserving persons. People may contact us with more information about such persons in government offices,’’ the ACB official said.
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