Deputy tahsildar, court assistant held in bribery case

A deputy tahsildar and a court assistant, both posted in the office of the Bengaluru Urban deputy commissioner, were arrested on Saturday for taking a Rs 5-lakh bribe in a land dispute.

The landowner also named deputy commissioner, J Manjunath, in his complaint to the anti-corruption bureau (ACB). But there has been no action against Manjunath who claimed he had nothing to do with the bribe allegedly taken by two staff members in his office.

Mahesh, 41, deputy tahsildar/manager, and Chetan Kumar alias Chandru, 38, court assistant, were caught red-handed while taking Rs 5 lakh in cash from Azam Khan, a landowner from Begur, according to the ACB.

Khan has filed a petition in the deputy commissioner court, which deals with cases of revenue appeals over a 38-gunta land parcel at Kodlu village in Anekal taluk.

Khan approached the ACB after Mahesh allegedly demanded Rs 5 lakh to rule the case in his favour. On the instructions of ACB sleuths, he went to the deputy commissioner’s office and handed the cash to Kumar, who collected it on Mahesh’s behalf.

That’s when ACB sleuths caught both Mahesh and Chetan red-handed and seized the cash.

The ACB registered a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act and arrested both officials.

Speaking to media persons, Khan said that it was Manjunath, the deputy commissioner, who had referred him to Mahesh. When he approached Mahesh, the latter demanded Rs 15 lakh, Khan said. “I filed a complaint with the ACB against both Manjunath and Mahesh,” he added.

Manjunath, however, told the ACB officials that he had nothing to do with the bribery.

A senior officer in the Anti Corruption Bureau said the role of other officials was being verified and that further necessary action would be
taken.

Khan also claimed that the case is in the final stage and likely to be ruled in his favour but alleged that officials were delaying the proceedings.