BJP MLA Chandru Lamani, representing Shirahatti Assembly constituency in Gadag district, has been granted conditional bail by the Special Court for People’s Representatives in Bengaluru. The bail requires Lamani to furnish a personal bond of Rs 2 lakh and provide two sureties. This decision comes after Lamani spent 15 days in judicial custody at the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison in Bengaluru.
Lamani was arrested by the Karnataka Lokayukta Police on February 21 for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 5 lakh from a contractor in Laxmeshwar town of Gadag district. The Lokayukta officials mentioned that the trap was set under specific sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Lamani was caught accepting the money as part of a larger bribe demand related to a contract under the Minor Irrigation Department.
In connection with the allotment of a contract for the construction of retaining walls, Lamani allegedly demanded Rs 11 lakh from a Class One contractor named Vijay Poojar. During the operation, Lamani’s government personal assistant and private assistant were also detained and questioned. The Lokayukta Superintendent of Police led the trap operation, which also involved a search at a hospital owned by the MLA.
The BJP had viewed Lamani’s arrest as a setback, accusing the Congress-led government in Karnataka of orchestrating the situation. BJP leaders claimed that the arrest was part of a conspiracy involving Congress office-bearers. They demanded a thorough investigation into the matter from all angles, citing the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
