Bengaluru, Apr 27: Commercial Tax Inspectors in Bengaluru have been found fixing a monthly rate of bribe from companies based in other states that send consignments into the city illegally.
But, following a complaint, a Team from the Bengaluru district Lokayukta trapped a Commercial Tax Inspector, Nijanandamurthy, and his Associate, Manoj M, who were caught red-handed accepting a Rs 20 lakh bribe from a Delhi-based pan masala company in exchange for official favour.
The bribe was reportedly demanded as part of an ongoing arrangement where the Inspector and his Associate facilitated the illegal entry of goods into the city.
The accused had established a nexus with the pan masala company, which involved a fixed monthly bribe payment in return for allowing the consignment to bypass legal scrutiny & the Lokayukta’s investigation revealed that this corrupt practice was not only rampant but also caused significant financial losses to the state’s exchequer.
Based on intelligence gathered, a case was registered against the accused, leading to the trap set & following the arrest of Manoj M, further raids were conducted at Nijanandamurthy’s residence, where more evidence of the corruption was uncovered.
A senior police official from the Lokayukta stated that the act of collecting bribes from out-of-state companies could not have been carried out single-handedly. There is a suspicion that a group of officers of similar rank may have been involved in the incident.
As a result, investigations are being conducted from both angles, examining the role of the officials involved as well as probing the companies’ participation in the matter.
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