A Bengaluru particular court docket listening to corruption instances has convicted a former particular tahsildar and a intermediary for accepting a bribe of Rs 5 lakh to settle a land dispute.
S Venkatachalapathy, the previous particular tahsildar of Bengaluru South taluk, and Madhusudhan B R, a intermediary, had been arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in 2017.
On Wednesday, holding the accused responsible, twenty third Extra Metropolis Civil and Periods Choose Okay M Radhakrishna ordered Venkatachalapathy and Madhusudhan to a few years’ imprisonment every and requested them to pay a superb of Rs 7 lakh and Rs 40,000, respectively.
“I’m to specific with heavy coronary heart that, these days the large-scale corruption all over the place in public workplaces, significantly within the income division, has turn into the curse to the lives of poor, helpless farmers and different public at massive. This inbuilt corrupt actions by the hands of not solely public servants but additionally the folks’s representatives have turn into extra harmful than outdoors terrorism, resulting in severe affect upon the economic system of the nation,” the choose mentioned in his order.
“This certainly is the foundation trigger for each drawback going through the widespread folks. If this type of stigma is permitted to proceed, maybe it erodes not solely the bottom of the system but additionally the religion of the widespread folks ensuing within the destruction of the democratic setup. Below the circumstances, I’m of the opinion that stringent punishment is the necessity of the hour in order that it might be a lesson to others of this nature,” the choose added.
In accordance with the ombudsman, Venkatachalapathy was listening to a case associated to 1 acre and 37 guntas of land in 2013-14.
In accordance with the complainant, following the dying of his father, he had approached Venkatachalapathy, who was the particular tahsildar and govt Justice of the Peace, looking for speedy disposal of the land share. Nevertheless, Venkatachalapathy allegedly requested him to fulfill Madhusudhan who demanded a bribe of Rs 20 lakh.
After negotiation, the quantity was lowered to Rs 15 lakh and the complainant was allegedly requested to pay Rs 5 lakh as advance for a beneficial resolution. The order copy could be issued when the stability was paid, he was allegedly instructed.
On December 15, 2017, the complainant approached the ACB and filed a grievance. The ACB laid a lure and on December 18, 2017, Madhusudhan was caught amassing Rs 5 lakh advance, allegedly at Venkatachalapathy’s behest.
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