<p>The special court for elected representatives in Bengaluru remanded BJP MLA Chandru Lamani, who was caught allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs five lakh from a contractor, till March 3, on Sunday.</p>.<p>The Lokayukta sleuths trapped the first-time MLA from Shirahatti while accepting Rs 5 lakh, said to be the first instalment of bribe money, at his hospital in Laxmeshwar on Saturday following the complaint by Vijay Pujar, a Class 1 contractor from Chinchali in Gadag district.</p>.<p>The officials took the MLA and his two personal assistants - Manjunath Valmiki and Guru Naik - into their custody and subjected the suspects to medical check-up at the district hospital in Gadag.</p>.<p>The Lokayukta officials grilled the suspects for over 10 hours till 1.30 am on Sunday before taking them to Bengaluru.</p>.Tourist special trains to Kashmir and Vaishno Devi connecting Bengaluru.<p>According to Lokayukta officials, the alleged bribe was linked to Minor Irrigation Department works, including the construction of retaining walls along a road at Sankadal village. The suspects had demanded a 12% cut (Rs 11 lakh) from the complainant to execute the project, and the first instalment of Rs 5 lakh was accepted during the trap.</p>.<p class="CrossHead">BJP workers cry conspiracy</p>.<p>Alleging a conspiracy by the Congress behind the Lokayukta raid on the MLA, BJP workers created a ruckus when the Lokayukta officials were taking the suspects to Bengaluru in the small hours of Sunday. They got into heated arguments with the police.</p>.<p>The complainant-contractor, Vijay Pujar, is the secretary of Mulgund Block Youth Congress SC wing. The Lokayukta raids against MLA Chandru Lamani is a conspiracy by the Congress, the agitating BJP workers alleged. They raised slogans against the Congress.</p>.<p>Cut-off box - ‘30% to 40% of legislators demand cut’ Alleging that around 30% to 40% legislators cutting across the party lines demand a cut in the works from contractors Karnataka State Contractors’ Association president R Manjunath said on Sunday that the same had been brought to the notice of the chief minister. The BJP MLA’s trap in Gadag district was part of this ring he added. Speaking to reporters in Hosapete the KSCA president said “Earlier commission was taken during the passing/clearing the bills. Now they seek the cut at the Bhoomi puja level itself. The officials act as middlemen... Many contractors are reeling under the mounting debts because of this practice (commission raj).” “I have never levelled allegations of ‘60% commission sarkara’ against the Congress government. My statements have been twisted. It is true that the Congress party cornered the previous BJP government using the former KSCA president’s allegations. We have not taken the similar path. All we want is the government to clear the pending bills of contractors amounting to Rs 37000 crore” he said. Manjunath said that the contractors across the state will stage a symbolic present on March 6 by stalling their works for a day.</p>
<p>The special court for elected representatives in Bengaluru remanded BJP MLA Chandru Lamani, who was caught allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs five lakh from a contractor, till March 3, on Sunday.</p>.<p>The Lokayukta sleuths trapped the first-time MLA from Shirahatti while accepting Rs 5 lakh, said to be the first instalment of bribe money, at his hospital in Laxmeshwar on Saturday following the complaint by Vijay Pujar, a Class 1 contractor from Chinchali in Gadag district.</p>.<p>The officials took the MLA and his two personal assistants - Manjunath Valmiki and Guru Naik - into their custody and subjected the suspects to medical check-up at the district hospital in Gadag.</p>.<p>The Lokayukta officials grilled the suspects for over 10 hours till 1.30 am on Sunday before taking them to Bengaluru.</p>.Tourist special trains to Kashmir and Vaishno Devi connecting Bengaluru.<p>According to Lokayukta officials, the alleged bribe was linked to Minor Irrigation Department works, including the construction of retaining walls along a road at Sankadal village. The suspects had demanded a 12% cut (Rs 11 lakh) from the complainant to execute the project, and the first instalment of Rs 5 lakh was accepted during the trap.</p>.<p class="CrossHead">BJP workers cry conspiracy</p>.<p>Alleging a conspiracy by the Congress behind the Lokayukta raid on the MLA, BJP workers created a ruckus when the Lokayukta officials were taking the suspects to Bengaluru in the small hours of Sunday. They got into heated arguments with the police.</p>.<p>The complainant-contractor, Vijay Pujar, is the secretary of Mulgund Block Youth Congress SC wing. The Lokayukta raids against MLA Chandru Lamani is a conspiracy by the Congress, the agitating BJP workers alleged. They raised slogans against the Congress.</p>.<p>Cut-off box - ‘30% to 40% of legislators demand cut’ Alleging that around 30% to 40% legislators cutting across the party lines demand a cut in the works from contractors Karnataka State Contractors’ Association president R Manjunath said on Sunday that the same had been brought to the notice of the chief minister. The BJP MLA’s trap in Gadag district was part of this ring he added. Speaking to reporters in Hosapete the KSCA president said “Earlier commission was taken during the passing/clearing the bills. Now they seek the cut at the Bhoomi puja level itself. The officials act as middlemen... Many contractors are reeling under the mounting debts because of this practice (commission raj).” “I have never levelled allegations of ‘60% commission sarkara’ against the Congress government. My statements have been twisted. It is true that the Congress party cornered the previous BJP government using the former KSCA president’s allegations. We have not taken the similar path. All we want is the government to clear the pending bills of contractors amounting to Rs 37000 crore” he said. Manjunath said that the contractors across the state will stage a symbolic present on March 6 by stalling their works for a day.</p>
