Bengaluru: In a major anti-corruption operation, the Karnataka Lokayukta City Unit-1 on Wednesday trapped a senior police officer in Bengaluru for allegedly accepting a bribe.
The accused has been identified as Krishna Murthy, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) of the Malleshwaram Sub-Division. He was allegedly caught red-handed while accepting ₹30,000 from a complainant.
Complaint by Hotel Manager
The trap followed a complaint filed by Sanjay Kumar, manager of Hotel Sagar in Rajajinagar. According to the complaint, the ACP had demanded ₹50,000 as illegal gratification to permit the hotel to operate beyond government-mandated permissible hours.
After negotiations, the alleged bribe amount was reduced to ₹30,000, following which the complainant approached the Lokayukta.
Trap Operation
Acting on the complaint, a Lokayukta team led by the Superintendent of Police (SP), City-1, laid a trap. The ACP was apprehended at the moment he allegedly received chemical-treated currency notes from the complainant.
Lokayukta officials confirmed that the phenolphthalein test yielded a positive result, indicating contact with the tainted money.
Legal Action
A case has been registered against the ACP under Section 7(c) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018.
Lokayukta officials said further investigation is underway, including verification of records and examination of potential abuse of official position.
The trap is part of the Lokayukta’s ongoing drive to crack down on corruption within government and enforcement agencies.
