Mangalore University assistant professor who was caught taking bribe declared guilty

An associate professor of Mangalore University's Sociology Department, who was caught red-handed while receiving bribe from her PhD student, was declared guilty and sentenced to undergo three years of simple imprisonment by Third Additional District and Sessions Court on Friday.

In 2012, Prof Anitha Ravishankar, on the pretext of paying bribe to the external examiners, to evaluate their research proposals, had collected initially Rs 10,000, Rs 4,000 and later Rs 16,800. On December 4, 2012, then Lokayukta Inspector Umesh J Shet had set a trap and Ravishankar was caught re-handed while collecting an advance of Rs 5,000 from the complainant researcher.

During the trial, as many as nine witnesses had been examined. Ravishankar also had pleaded for leniency as her daughter's wedding had been arranged. Third Additional District and Sessions Court B B Jakati, while upholding the arguments of Lokayukta Special Prosecutor K S N Rajesh, sentenced Ravishankar to undergo simple imprisonment for two years and to pay a fine of Rs 15,000 for the offence under Section 7 of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

The Judge ordered Ravishankar to under simple imprisonment for three years and to pay fine of Rs 15,000 for offence under Section 13(1)(d) r/w 13(2) of PC Act, 1988. Both sentences shall run concurrently, the judge declared. Ravishankar, who will retire in 2023, had been serving as Principal of University Degree college in Konaje.

Mangalore University Prof P L Dharma neither responded to messages or calls from DH.