Karnataka BJP MLA Chandru Lamani caught taking Rs 5 lakh bribe

Lokayukta sleuths on Saturday trapped Shirahatti MLA Chandru Lamani and two of his personal assistants while they were allegedly accepting bribe of Rs 5 lakh from a contractor.

According to Lokayukta police sources, Dr Lamani had allegedly demanded Rs 11 lakh as bribe from a contractor in connection with two works of the Minor Irrigation Department. Class-1 contractor Vijay Pujar of Chinchali village of Gadag taluk had lodged a complaint with the Lokayukta police in this regard.

The Lokayukta police trapped the BJP MLA and his personal assistants Manjunath Valmiki and Guru Nayak while they were receiving Rs 5 lakh bribe at Balaji Hospital owned by Lamani, at Laxmeshwar town in the district on Saturday around 2.15 pm.

During the Lokayukta raid, Nayak allegedly threw an envelope containing Rs 50,000 cash into the compound of a private school behind the hospital. The Lokayukta police seized the cash, along with Rs 4.50 lakh found at the hospital, sources added.

Gadag Lokayukta DySP Vijay Biradar, inspector Paramesh Kavatagi and other personnel conducted the raid under the guidance of Lokayukta SP Siddhalingappa.

Booking a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act, Lokayukta officials said Dr Lamani and two others were secured. The MLA would be produced before the people’s representatives’ special court in Bengaluru after a medical test.

BJP workers gathered near the hospital during the Lokayukta raid, raised slogans against the Congress leaders, and alleged that the raid was a conspiracy by the Congress.

Rise and fall

First-time MLA Dr Lamani, hailing from Dindur Tanda in Mundaragi taluk, had earlier worked as a taluk health officer at Shirahatti, and later started his own hospital at Laxmeshwar. He had a Lokayukta complaint against him when he was working with the taluk hospital and his resignation was not accepted even when he was trying to become a candidate in the Assembly elections, sources said. Social service during Covid-19 pandemic was the springboard for politics for Dr Lamani, and he won as a BJP candidate from Shirahatti reserved constituency in 2023, by a margin of 28,520 votes.

Contractor Vijay Pujar on February 18 had complained that Dr Lamani and his PAs had demanded Rs 11 lakh (12% commission) for two works of constructing retaining walls for a stream at Sankadal village in Laxmeshwar taluk for which the work order was awarded in July. In 2023, the then Channagiri BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa was arrested by the Lokayukta after he was booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act following his son’s arrest for allegedly taking a Rs 40 lakh bribe from a contractor. Later, the high court had quashed the proceedings against him.

In 2009, the then KGF MLA Y Sampangi was caught by the Lokayukta police while allegedly accepting bribe from a businessman. Later, a special Lokayukta court had sentenced him to rigorous imprisonment. He was later granted a bail by the high court.

PAs Manjunath Valmiki and Guru Nayak