Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials on Thursday night caught a Revenue Inspector (RI) and a head constable (HC) red-handed while they were taking bribes from a person who is facing a land dispute.
The Revenue Inspector, H Putta Hanumaiah alias Praveen, is attached with Jala Hobli in North Taluk, while the head constable, identified as Raju, is attached with Chikkajala police station. Police Inspector of Chikkajala police station, Yeshwanth, who also allegedly took bribes, is at large after learning about the trap.
According to ACB officials, on Thursday they received a complaint from a person stating that he had a sale agreement to purchase five acres of land in Shettigere village in Jala Hobli, bearing survey number 79, from the landowner Syed Baba Jaan in 2018. He had agreed to pay Rs 2.8 crore for the land and had given Rs 15 lakh as an advance in two instalments.
Baba Jaan had another subsequent sale agreement executed to another person.
The complainant had approached the court for an injunction order which was granted in his favour.
The complainant approached the Tahsildar office and filed an application to get land registration documents -- podi, mutation and pouthi khata. To give these documents, Hanumaiah had demanded Rs 50 lakh bribe. At the same time, the complainant had approached Chikkajala police seeking protection to put a board in the disputed land and met police inspector Yeshwanth and Raju.
Raju demanded a bribe and negotiated for Rs 10 lakh. Meanwhile, Rs 4 lakh was already given to Yeshwanth. The complainant after approaching ACB officials had gone to give remaining Rs 6 lakh to police. Raju was caught red-handed while accepting the money near the police station. Hanumaiah was also caught red-handed while accepting Rs 5 lakh bribe near Sheshadripuram.
The ACB officials are making efforts to nab absconding Yeshwanth and further investigation is on.
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