How two Bengaluru inspectors walked into ACB bribe trap in same case 9 months apart

A dispute over a five-acre plot of land near the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) has claimed the scalp of two police inspectors in nine months. In both cases, the inspectors were reportedly caught taking bribes from the landowner.

The land in question is located in Shettigere village near the toll plaza on the way to the airport in northern Bengaluru. It’s worth crores of rupees at current market prices.

On Saturday, the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) announced that it had caught Chikkajala police inspector Raghavendra S R taking a bribe of Rs 2 lakh from the landowner. The inspector’s friend, also named Raghavendra, was arrested for being his partner in crime, the ACB added.

The landowner had approached the inspector for help in evicting trespassers from the property. The trespassers were none other than people he had fought with in court over land ownership. While the court ruled in his favour, the other side allegedly trespassed on the land in early September and damaged the boards. The landowner met the inspector and requested him to take the necessary action.

While the police opened a case of trespass, damaging the boards and theft, the inspector allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 10 lakh to resolve the issue. The landowner reportedly paid him Rs 8 lakh in two instalments but the inspector insisted that he pay another Rs 2 lakh. The landowner complained to the ACB against the inspector two days ago.

The ACB registered a case and asked the landowner to pay the inspector Rs 2 lakh. When the landowner went to him with the money, the inspector asked him to pay it to his friend Raghavendra.

ACB officers caught the inspector’s friend when he allegedly accepted the money. The inspector was arrested subsequently.

Raghavendra is the second inspector to walk into the ACB’s trap over the land dispute bribery. In January, the corruption watchdog had caught a revenue inspector and a head constable for taking bribes from the landowner. The arrests led the ACB to the-then inspector of the Chikkajala police station, Yeshwanth. The police top brass subsequently suspended Yeshwanth and posted Raghavendra in his place.

"Don’t complain against me to the ACB," Raghavendra is said to have told the landowner after demanding the bribe. Promising to resolve the issue, the inspector said to the landowner that he trusted that he wouldn’t trap him like he had his predecessor, said a senior ACB officer.

Social service and politics

Inspector Raghavendra is said to be very active in social service in Pavagada taluk, Tumakuru district, and goes there almost every week. He has established a trust there and recently introduced a mobile digital vehicle to help people apply for various government services, get printouts, photocopies and other documents. Many people in Pavagada believe he will enter politics soon.

In a Facebook post around 6.30 pm on Saturday, the inspector wrote: “I will come out clean. I won’t get affected by your conspiracies. People who love me and my fans need not worry.”

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