District manager of Government-owned Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Development Corporation Mahadevaswamy and K. Kumar, a driver serving with the corporation on contract basis, have been arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) sleuths for allegedly accepting ₹40,000 as bribe from a beneficiary of a self-employment scheme.
The corporation had launched a self-employment scheme under which financial assistance of up to ₹3.50 lakh will be extended for unemployed youths from Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe who aspire to become owner of tourist taxis. According to sources in ACB, Vijay Naik, a resident of Holebenavalli Taanda near here, had submitted an application seeking financial assistance under the scheme. It is said that Mr. Mahadevaswamy had demanded ₹50,000 as bribe from Mr. Naik for sanctioning the financial assistance of ₹3.50 lakh. Later, he had scaled down the bribe amount to ₹40,000.
Mr. Naik had lodged a complaint with the ACB police in this connection. Based on the complaint, the ACB police laid a trap. On the advice of ACB sleuths, the complainant had requested Mr. Mahadevaswamy to come near a canteen on Savalanga Road in the city to receive the amount. ACB police said that Mr. Kumar used to act as middleman between Mr. Mahadevaswamy and the beneficiaries who had received financial assistance from the corporation.
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Though Mr. Mahadevaswamy came to the spot, he directed Mr. Kumar to receive the bribe amount. When the driver was receiving the bribe, the ACB police arrested him and Mr. Mahadevaswamy. Cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act-1988 have been booked against the arrested.