Karnataka Lokayukta office.
Shivamogga/Bengaluru: Shivamogga District Fire Officer Ashok Kumar was caught in a Lokayukta trap while allegedly accepting ₹1 lakh for issuing a compliance certificate for a preschool, according to a statement from the Shivamogga Lokayukta Superintendent of Police.
The complainant, H M Anup, is a resident of Shikaripura. Police said the work pending with the officer concerned the issue of the preschool’s compliance certificate.
According to the police statement, Ashok Kumar demanded ₹1 lakh and accepted the same amount from the complainant during the trap. Police said the money was recovered from the officer.
A case, Crime No. 07/2026, has been registered at Shivamogga Lokayukta police station under Section 7(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018, the statement said.
Police Inspector Veerabasappa L Kusalapura, PI-3, led the trap operation, assisted by Police Inspector Rudresh K P, PI-1, and staff. The operation was supervised by the Shivamogga Deputy Superintendent of Police.
