Three officials caught taking bribes by Karnataka Lokayukta

In one case, the superintendent in the office of the Assistant Registrar of Cooperative Societies in Belagavi demanded a bribe of ₹50,000 for registration of a society.

Bhartesh Shabannanavar, the superintendent in the office of the Assistant Registrar of Cooperative Societies in Belagavi, was caught by the Karnataka Lokayukta team while taking a bribe of ₹50,000 for registration of a society.

The complainant, Prashant Atmaram Kelgade from Sankeshwar, had applied for the registration of United Social and Sports Club.

The office superintendent, Bhartesh Shabannanavar, allegedly demanded ₹50,000 claiming that senior officers would have to be given a share of the amount. He refused to register the club till the bribe was paid and delayed the process by three weeks.

Prashant Atmaram Kelgade lodged a complaint on March 2. The Lokayukta police registered a case under Section 7(c) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. Under the guidance of Superintendent of Police Hanumantharaya, a team led by Deputy SP B.S. Patil and Inspector Niranjan Patil, caught the official red-handed while taking the bribe.

In another case, a forest officer in Ramdurg and his colleague were arrested for demanding a bribe of ₹6,000 to avoid legal action under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

The complainant had caught three pigeons using a net near the bridge on Malaprabha river in Ramdurg.

Mohammadsab Imamsab Musamiya (52), a forest watcher, and Deputy Range Forest Officer Vinayak Veerabhadra Gouda Patil (41) demanded ₹7,000 to drop the case. They took ₹6,000 on March 21 and demanded that the remaining ₹1,000 be handed over soon.