JOIN USL Govindaraju, Congress corporator from Ganesh Mandir ward, was on Wednesday convicted and sentenced to four years rigorous imprisonment for accepting a bribe of Rs two lakh.
Govindaraju was trapped by the Lokayukta police on July 17, 2010 after a man named Udayakumar lodged a complaint stating that Govindaraju was demanding Rs eight lakh to let him construct an apartment complex in Banashankari 3rd stage.
Judge N K Sudhindra Rao found Govindaraju guilty under Prevention of Corruption Act and sentenced him to undergo four years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 under Section 13(1)(d). He also sentenced him to 2 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 40,000 under Section 7 of the Act. If Govindaraju fails to pay his fine amount, then he will have to spend another six months in jail. Both the jail sentences will run concurrently.
The Court, however, acquitted Gopal, an intermediary, who was arrested along with Govindaraju, as the prosecution failed to establish the commission of any offence by him.
The Court also directed that the police register a case under Section 344 of Code of Criminal Procedure against Thimmegowda, a BBMP-appointed mason and prosecution witness, who turned hostile during his testimony. The Court ruled that Thimmegowda should stand trial for perjury. In 2010, Udayakumar was constructing an apartment complex in Banashankari 3rd stage. When Udayakumar was constructing the fourth floor, Govindaraju raised objections saying that an extra floor was being constructed and demanded that the work be stopped immediately as it violated BBMP norms.
Demand
He then demanded Rs eight lakh from Udayakumar to allow him to continue with the construction. The complainant first paid Rs two lakh and Govindaraju demanded another Rs five lakh. When Udayakumar sought time to pay the rest of the bribe, Thimmegowda and others went to the construction site, took away the construction equipment and locked it up in the ward office. Udayakumar then lodged a complaint with the Lokayukta police.
On the morning of July 17, 2010, Udayakumar went to Govindaraju’s house in Lakshmanappa Garden and paid him Rs 2 lakh when the Lokayukta police arrested Govindaraju, and he was sent to prison. The entire trap was recorded by the complainant with a buttonhole camera.
In a first for the Lokayukta Court, both the video and audio was played in Court. Udayakumar had also sought and received police protection, after Govindraju was released on bail.