Karnataka high court refuses to quash bribery case against ex-civic official
Bengaluru: The high court refused to quash proceedings in a bribery case against Basavaraj, former commissioner of Harihara municipal council, Davanagere district.
Justice M Nagaprasanna observed that "the amount of Rs 2 lakh recovered from the petitioner was lying on the teapoy in his home and not in his neighbour's house".
On July 8, 2024, H Karibasappa, a materials supplier, lodged a complaint with Lokayukta police alleging that he supplied materials for water supply works of Harihara municipal council for several years. He claimed for the supplied materials worth between Rs 25 and Rs 30 lakh, Basavaraj demanded a bribe of Rs 2 lakh to generate and clear bills for the amount.
Subsequently, Lokayukta police conducted a raid at Basavaraj's residence, where 400 notes of Rs 500 each were found on the tea table, leading to initiation of proceedings.
Basavaraj challenged the case, arguing that nothing was recovered from his possession during the raid, thus claiming there was no legal acceptance of the bribe.
Justice Nagaprasanna said, "If the petitioner did not demand any amount, why would Rs 2 lakh be lying on the teapoy in his house when Lokayukta sleuths laid a trap?" The presence of money on the tea table and the positive phenolphthalein test (his hands turned pink), constituted prima facie evidence of demand and acceptance of bribe, the judge said.
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