Tax inspector in Lokayukta net on bribery charges

BENGALURU: Bengaluru Rural Lokayukta police detained commercial tax inspector Nijanandamurthy MR when he was allegedly accepting Rs 20 lakh as bribe from a private person near a hotel in Nagarabhavi, in Bengaluru on Wednesday evening.

According to an official statement, Nijanandamurthy was taking the money from Manoj M at 6.50pm, when Lokayukta police took him into custody. Based on the lead obtained after the detention, Lokayukta police registered a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act and BNS, into the alleged rampant large-scale corruption involving some officials of the commercial taxes department, resulting in loss of crores of rupees to the state’s exchequer.

The official statement disclosed that some department officials are receiving bribes on a monthly basis from owners of goods transport vehicle companies, to allow their vehicles carrying pan masala to ply illegally from Delhi through the highway running through Bengaluru Rural.

The raid was conducted by a Lokayukta police team under SP Pavan Nejjur.