The Lokayukta police on Friday arrested M.R. Hiremath, Deputy Commissioner (Land Acquisition), Bangalore Development Authority, for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs. 5 lakh to denotify a piece of land.
Rs. 20 lakh
According to Additional Director-General of Police (Lokayukta) H.N. Sathyanarayana Rao, Hiremath was at his house, around 200 m from a Malleswaram coffee shop where N.R. Ramesh, his tout, was caught accepting the bribe from Nagaraj, the complainant, on his behalf. A press release stated that the police laid the trap when Mr. Nagaraj complained that Hiremath had demanded illegal gratification of Rs. 20 lakh, and settled for a Rs. 5-lakh advance.
As per a Supreme Court direction, Hiremath was expected to submit a proposal to denotify a piece of land in Thanisandra belonging to Mr. Nagaraj’s relatives before the State Empowered Committee.
A criminal case under the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against Hiremath and Ramesh, who have been remanded in judicial custody till November 24.
