BU ex-syndicate member sentenced for accepting bribe

A former member of Bangalore University Syndicate was on Tuesday convicted by a Special Lokayukta Court for accepting a bribe.

M Jayalakshmi Devi was sentenced to four years’ rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 75,000 under Section 13(1)(d) (criminal misconduct by a public servant) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. She was also slapped another one-and-a-half-year term and a fine of Rs 60,000 under Section 7 (illegal gratification) of the Act. The sentences will run concurrently.  Her son Alok Vashista was acquitted.

In May 2009, N K Sridhar of Jindal Aluminium had approached Jayalakshmi Devi seeking permission to run BCom and BCA courses on their newly constructed premises at Chikkabidarakallu. Jayalakshmi Devi, who was part of a five-member committee, had demanded Rs 5 lakh against her approval.  However, the amount was brought down to Rs 2 lakh after Sridhar stated that the courses were meant for underprivileged girls.

Sridhar then lodged a complaint with the Lokayukta police. The money was to be deposited with the receptionist at SFN Comforts Lodge on May 18, 2009, as instructed by Jayalakshmi Devi. Alok Vashista, who arrived to collect the money from the receptionist, was caught red-handed by the police.

Jayalakshmi had lodged a complaint against the Lokayukta police, stating that her husband, erstwhile joint commissioner of excise S Ananthu, had died under constant pressure and harassment by the Lokayukta police. However, it later emerged that Ananthu had died after suffering a cardiac arrest in Leh.