ACB sleuths arrest officials over demanding bribes

Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) sleuths on Tuesday arrested an official of town planning and another from BBMP on graft charges.

Rangaswamy, assistant director of town planning at Mahadevapura Zone and assistant engineer Srinivasa Gowda are the arrested officers.

The complainant wanted to construct a house at Ammani Bellandur Khane in Mahadevapura. He had approached Rangaswamy’s office with an application seeking plan sanction for a two-storied house. However, Rangaswamy and Srinivasa Gowda demanded a bribe of Rs 5 lakh to issue the building plan.

When the officials did not clear the file even after three months, the site owner filed a complaint with the ACB. The officials laid a trap and arrested Rangaswamy while accepting while accepting a bribe of Rs 5 lakh from the complainant. Srinivasa Gowda was also arrested later.

The officials found Rs 35,000 apart from the bribe amount with Rangaswamy. Srinivasa Gowda also had Rs 2.51 lakh and $ 6,000 with him.

“While Gowda offered no explanation for having Rs 2.51 lakh, he claimed that he was travelling to Dubai on Thursday. But later admitted that he had not obtained permission to travel abroad. It is learnt that the official had gone to Thailand some time ago. We are collecting details about his foreign trips,’’ a senior official said.