Lokayukta police trap BBMP official for demanding bribe

Works Inspector Somanna of Kamalanagar ward was arrested by the Lokayukta police from a complaint by Naganna. Somanna had harassed him several times earlier and extorted money citing building violations.

This time around, he had demanded Rs 25,000 to give permission for road cutting. Fed up, Naganna lodged a complaint with the Lokayukta police. Lokayukta police arrested Somanna while he was accepting the bribe at Kamalanagar ward office on Saturday evening.

The Works Inspector meanwhile has accused his superior, the Assistant Executive Engineer of instructing him to take the bribe. Lokayukta SP Madhukar Shetty said that Somanna claimed that he was accepting the bribe on his superior’s behalf. Shetty said, “We will take a look into the allegation and investigate the Assistant Executive Engineer.”

Naganna had stated in his complaint that he had paid more than Rs 1 lakh in bribes in the last six months, to avoid harassment on the matter of building violation. However, Somanna kept demanding for more money and asked to pay Rs 25,000 to permit road cutting.