JOIN USAccording to sources, Govindaraju, brother of Mahesh alias Koradapuri Mahesh, owner of Lakshmi Venkateshwara mining company was allegedly trying to bribe a inspector attached to CID.
The inspector, Venkatesh, one of the investigating officers into the missing iron ore scam in Belekeri port, has also been arrested. Mahesh is said to be a close associate of Reddy ministers of Bellary and an accused in the scam currently being investigated by CID.
Sources said Govindaraju was trying to bribe the inspector, a member of CID’s investigating squad to go slow on his brother Mahesh’s case. Govindaraju was produced before the court and was sent to judicial custody.
The trap
Sources said Venkatesh allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 10 lakh to settle the case. Govindraju was traced by Lokayukta squad in Hospet area on Saturday and was spotted in the company of Inspector Venkatesh. On Sunday (September 19) morning, Venkatesh, had gone to meet Govindraju in Gandhinagar area in his official jeep.
Confronted by the Lokayukta police, Venkatesh initially tried to hoodwink the Lokayukta officials claiming that he was the “inspector’s driver”. But later, he was forced to spill the beans.
The Lokayukta police have seized Rs 2.17 lakh from Govindaraju. They also seized three mobile phones and 10 SIM cards from Govindaraju. Within minutes of Venkatesh’s arrest, top CID officers are learnt to have contacted senior Lokayukta police officers, and requested not to leak the matter to media.
Interestingly, it was a section of CID officers unhappy with the efforts to suppress the incident, who tipped off the media.