The Lokayukta Special Court on Thursday convicted two officials of the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewage Board (BWSSB) for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000 from an ex-serviceman. The convicts - Assistant Executive Engineer R Srinivasan and office assistant S Nanjundappa - had received the money for facilitating water supply connection.
The convicts were attached to the BWSSB office at High Grounds and the trap had been laid in 2002. Srinivasan was sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for two years and to pay a fine of Rs 20,000 for demanding bribe and two years and six months of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 25,000 for accepting the bribe.
Nanjundappa was sentenced to two years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 20,000 for demanding bribe, two years and six months of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 25,000 for accepting the bribe. The sentences run concurrently, said Special Public Prosecutor K Mahalakshmi. The prosecution’s case was that Srinivasan had demanded a bribe of Rs 30,000 for a separate water meter.
The ex-serviceman had approached the Lokayukta police, a trap was laid and Nanjundappa was caught red-handed. During the interrogation, Nanjundappa said he was receiving the money on behalf of Srinivasan and a second trap was laid. One of the shadow witnesses was sent for the second trap and Srinivasan was arrested when Nanjundappa was handing over the bribe money to him.
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