Lokayukta traps Bescom engineer taking Rs 20,000 bribe

Lokayukta police on Wednesday arrested a Bescom assistant engineer as she was accepting a bribe of Rs 20,000 from a private individual to remove an electrical pole from the premises of a house.

The accused engineer, identified as Vidya, is attached to Kasturi Nagar, O&M, sub-division Benniganahalli E-10. The Lokayukta police team under the supervision of Ashok B V, superintendent of police and Umadevi R, deputy superintendent of police, Bengaluru, arrested Vidya under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Aravind, an electrical contractor, had approached Bescom with an application to remove an electrical pole from the premises of a house.

Vidya demanded Rs 25,000 for it. She asked Aravind to pay Rs 5,000 in advance and said the remaining should be paid on the day the work order is issued. Aravind, a resident of Narayanapura, paid her Rs 5,000, but didn’t want to pay further. He decided to file a complaint with the Lokayukta police.

On instructions from the police, Aravind went to Vidya’s office and paid her the remaining Rs 20,000. The police caught her red-handed and arrested her. Further probe is on.