Puttur Tahsildar Office Staff Member Arrested in Lokayukta Bribery Case
Mangaluru: A First Division Assistant (FDA) at the Puttur Tahsildar office was apprehended by Lokayukta officials on Thursday evening while allegedly accepting a bribe. The incident occurred at the Land Reforms Branch of the Tahsildar’s office, situated within the Puttur Taluk Administrative Complex.
Sunil, identified as the FDA in the Land Reforms Branch, was caught red-handed by the Mangaluru Lokayukta police while accepting Rs 12,000 from a complainant. Following the arrest, Sunil has been taken into custody and is currently undergoing interrogation.
Authorities have also indicated that Puttur Tahsildar Kudalagi is implicated in the case and is currently absconding. A search operation is underway to locate and apprehend him.
The case originated from a complaint filed with the Mangaluru Lokayukta concerning a pending No Objection Certificate (NOC) required for the sale of land. The complainant’s uncle possessed 65 cents of land approved under the Akrama Sakrama scheme and subsequently transferred the rights to the complainant via a will. An application for the NOC was submitted in December 2024.
According to the complaint, Sunil, the case worker, allegedly demanded a bribe in exchange for securing the Tahsildar’s signature on the NOC. It is alleged that Sunil conveyed that the bribe was necessary to expedite the process.
Acting on the complaint, Lokayukta officials orchestrated a raid, leading to Sunil’s arrest while he was allegedly accepting the illicit payment. A case has also been registered against Tahsildar Kudalagi, and a thorough investigation into his involvement in the matter will be conducted.
The Lokayukta operation was spearheaded by Lokayukta SP (In-charge) Kumar Chandra, with the support of DySP Dr. Gana.P. Kumar, Inspectors Bharati, Chandrashekhar K.N., Ravi Pawar, and staff, including Mahesh, Rajappa, Radhakrishna, Adarsh, Vivek, Vinayak, Praveen, Ganganna, Nagappa, Mahadeva, Pavitra, Dundappa, Rudragowda, and Rajashekhar.