Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Chandru Lamani, representing the Shirahatti Assembly constituency, was apprehended by the Karnataka Lokayukta for his involvement in an alleged bribery case in Laxmeshwar town, Gadag district. The Lokayukta stated that Lamani was caught red-handed accepting Rs 5 lakh from a contractor as part of a larger bribe demand.
This incident is viewed as a setback for the BJP, which had been criticizing the Congress-led government in the state for similar practices of demanding bribes and commissions from contractors. The Lokayukta mentioned that a successful trap was set up by the Gadag Karnataka Lokayukta Police under specific sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
MLA Chandru Lamani had purportedly demanded Rs 11 lakh from a Class One contractor for the allocation of a contract related to the Minor Irrigation Department. The bribe was reportedly associated with the construction of a retaining wall along the roadside. Lamani’s government personal assistant and private assistant were also taken into custody and questioned during the operation.
The Lokayukta team, led by Dharwad Lokayukta Superintendent of Police Siddalingappa, conducted the operation that resulted in the arrest of MLA Chandru Lamani and his associates. Following the apprehension, a search was carried out at Balaji Hospital in Laxmeshwar town, owned by Lamani. Investigations into the case are ongoing, with more details expected to emerge soon.
