Karnataka BJP MLA Lamani caught by Lokayukta while accepting Rs 5 lakh bribe
The MLA and his team demanded a total bribe of Rs 11 lakh from Poojar. Lokayukta officials conducted the raid when the first instalment of Rs 5 lakh was being accepted
In a major operation, Lokayukta police have trapped Shirahatti Assembly constituency BJP MLA Dr. Chandru Lamani from Gadag district on charges of accepting a bribe.
Dr. Lamani and his two close aides were taken into custody while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 5 lakh.
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The action followed a complaint filed by contractor Vijay Poojar from Chinchali in Gadag district. Acting on the complaint, Lokayukta officials launched an operation and made the arrests.
Demand for Rs 11 lakh bribe
The contractor had taken up a project under the Minor Irrigation Department to construct retaining walls on both sides of a road. When he approached the MLA’s office seeking cooperation to carry out the work, a hefty bribe was allegedly demanded, according to Lokayukta police.
It is said that the MLA and his team demanded a total bribe of Rs 11 lakh from Poojar. Lokayukta officials conducted the raid when the first instalment of Rs 5 lakh was being accepted.
Along with Dr. Lamani, his close aide Manjunath Valmiki and private assistant Guru Naik have been arrested and legal action has been initiated.
The Lokayukta police stepped in when Poojar went to hand over the bribe amount. The accused were taken into custody along with the cash.
The three arrested accused have been taken to a hospital for medical examination and will later be produced before a court. The case has triggered a major political stir and sparked widespread debate. The demand for such a huge bribe from funds earmarked for development works has also drawn sharp criticism from the contractor community.
Dr. Lamani, a first-time MLA
Dr. Lamani was a medical practitioner by profession and had been serving in the healthcare sector for many years before entering politics. A native of Hirekerur taluk in Haveri district, he is known to have maintained close ties with poor and middle-class communities.
Political analysts say that his service in the medical field and his responsiveness to the problems of ordinary people drew him into active politics. He contested as a BJP candidate in the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections and won convincingly from his constituency, entering the Assembly as an MLA for the first time.
(This article was originally published in The Federal Karnataka)