Lokayukta police officers on Thursday arrested three officials of the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee for allegedly collecting bribes from agricultural commodity traders. The police gave the names of the accused as APMC Joint Director (Enforcement) Satish Kumar, Marketing Supervisor Jagadish and Marketing Officer Venkateshiah. While Mr. Kumar was reportedly found with Rs. 1 lakh, Mr. Jagadish and Mr. Venkateshaiah were found with Rs. 26, 000 each. They could not explain the possession of cash, said Deputy Superintendent of Police Umesh Shetty, who led the team of Lokayukta police.
Mr. Shetty said there were complaints against the three of allegedly taking bribes when they came to visit shops shops and other units of agriculture commodity traders. Following a tip-off, the Lokayukta police team reportedly apprehended Mr. Jagadish and Mr. Venkateshaiah in a hotel in Puttur on Wednesday night. The Lokayukta police arrested Mr. Kumar in a club in Mangalore on Thursday.
This was the second such arrest for Mr. Kumar. He was caught for alleged acceptance of Rs. 5,000 from a trader in Shimoga in September 2009.
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A 20-year-old student of the National Institute of Technology-Karnataka, Surathkal drowned after strong currents reportedly dragged him and his friends underwater at Malemar Beach on Tuesday evening. According to the Surathkal police, Shashank Srivatsa (20), from Bangalore, had gone to the beach along with eight of his friends. Around 5 p.m., he and two others went swimming when rough currents dragged them further into the sea. Two were rescued and local swimmers were used to search for Shashank. His body came down to the beach late on Tuesday night. His parents came down to Mangalore on Wednesday to take back the body to Bangalore, the police said.