Shivamogga: Government official sentenced to four years’ imprisonment for taking bribe to grant disability pension

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The police caught the official on September 21, 2017, while she was accepting a bribe of ₹5,000 from the complainant. | Image for representation | Photo Credit: Avijit Sadhu

The First Additional District and Sessions and Special Court, Shivamogga, on Tuesday (September 1) sentenced a Revenue Department official to four years’ imprisonment for taking a bribe to grant disability pension to a speech-impaired person. The officials was also slapped with a fine of ₹40,000.

Pushpalatha, the convicted, was working as deputy tahsildar of Bhadravathi taluk in 2017. Girish, a resident of D.B. Halli in Holehonnur hobli, had approached the officer seeking the disability pension for his father Parameshwarappa, who has been speech-impaired since birth. Girish had obtained a medical certificate to claim the pension. However, the officer demanded a bribe of ₹10,000 to grant the pension.

Girish lodged a complaint with the Karnataka Lokayukta Police. The police caught the official on September 21, 2017, while she was accepting a bribe of ₹5,000 from the complainant.

Karnataka Lokayukta inspector G.S. Thippeswamy conducted the investigation and filed the chargesheet.

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