Agriculture Department official caught red-handed while receiving ₹1 lakh as bribe

Lokayukta Police arrested Bharatamma, Deputy Agriculture Director, Mangaluru for allegedly accepting ₹1 lakh bribe for clearing ₹50 lakh bill due for planting horticulture saplings. Retired Range Forest Officer, N.P. Paramesh, reported the incident to Lokayukta police. Bharatamma was caught red-handed while receiving the bribe and produced before jurisdictional judge.

The Lokayukta Police on Saturday, October 21, arrested Bharatamma, Deputy Agriculture Director, Mangaluru after she was caught red-handed while allegedly accepting ₹1 lakh as bribe for clearing bill due to forest contractors and nursery owners.

In a complaint to Lokayukta police, N.P. Paramesh, a retired Range Forest Officer in the office of Watershed Development wing in Agriculture Department, said that ₹50 lakh bill amount had to be paid by the department for planting of horticulture saplings in Sajipamooda, Munooru, Sajipapadu, Sajipanadu, Kurnad, Naringana, Balepuni and Manjanady villages of Bantwal Taluk during 2022-23 and 2023-24 as part of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayi Yojana. Mr. Paramesh retired from service on August 31, 2023. The saplings had been planted while he was in service as Range Forest Officer in Watershed Development wing on deputation from the Forest Department.

Of ₹50 lakh, ₹18 lakh had to be paid to nursery owners Dori (of Kannan nursery) and Byregowda (of Shabareesh nursery) for providing the saplings, while ₹32 lakh had to be paid to forest contractors for planting saplings.

Mr. Paramesh met Bharatamma on Friday at the latter’s office and sought releasing ₹50 lakh. Ms. Bharatamma demanded a bribe of ₹1 lakh for releasing the amount, Mr. Paramesh alleged.

C.A. Simon, Superintendent of Police, Lokayukta, Mangaluru said in a release that Bharatamma was caught red-handed while receiving ₹1 lakh on Saturday, October 21.

She was produced before jurisdictional judge, late on Saturday evening.