Bengaluru. Karnataka Lokayukta on Saturday detained BJP MLA from Shirahatti assembly constituency Chandru Lamani in an alleged bribery case in Lakshmeshwar town of Gadag district. According to sources, the Lokayukta team caught the MLA red-handed while allegedly taking Rs 5 lakh from a contractor. The amount was allegedly part of a larger bribe demand. During this action, the MLA’s government personal assistant Manjunath Valmiki and personal assistant Guru Lamani were also detained and interrogated. According to Lokayukta sources, the MLA is accused of demanding Rs 11 lakh from Class-1 contractor Vijay Poojar in exchange for allotting a contract under the Minor Irrigation Department. This alleged bribe is said to be related to the roadside retaining wall construction work. This trap operation was carried out under the supervision of Dharwad Lokayukta Superintendent of Police Siddalingappa. The officials laid a trap and caught the MLA and his associates while allegedly accepting Rs 5 lakh. After the action, Lokayukta officials also searched Balaji Hospital located in Lakshmeshwar, which is said to be owned by Chandru Lamani, as part of the investigation. Further investigation into the case is ongoing and officials are also examining other evidence related to the alleged bribery scandal. It is noteworthy that earlier in the year 2023, former Karnataka BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa was also arrested in a bribery case.
Lokayukta police had tracked him before he addressed a public meeting in Channagiri town in Davanagere district. It was reported that he tried to escape from the police, but was stopped at a toll gate near Bengaluru. Later, his anticipatory bail plea was rejected by the Karnataka High Court. Virupakshappa was made the main accused in the corruption case related to Karnataka State Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL).
The Lokayukta had booked him when his son was caught taking a bribe of Rs 40 lakh. In the subsequent raid, Rs 6.1 crore in cash was recovered from his Sanjay Nagar residence and Rs 2.2 crore from his office. A total of Rs 8.23 crore in cash, huge quantity of gold and silver jewelery and investments made in land across Karnataka were also unearthed during the search. –
Read this also – Click to read the news of your state/city before the newspaper.
