BELAGAVI: Nearly 30 years after accepting a ₹500 bribe, a village accountant from Kadoli in Belagavi taluk has finally landed behind bars, thanks to a Supreme Court ruling that revived a long-forgotten corruption case.
Nagesh Dondu Shivangekar, the accused, was arrested on Wednesday and lodged in Hindalaga jail, confirmed Lokayukta Superintendent of Police Hanumantharaya.
The case dates back to 1995, when Kadoli farmer Lakshman Rukkanna Katambale applied for a land partition with his brother. Nagesh, then the village accountant, demanded a ₹500 bribe to issue the necessary land transfer document (Uthara). Acting swiftly on the farmer’s complaint, Lokayukta officials set a trap and caught Nagesh red-handed while accepting the bribe.
In 2006, a Special Court in Belagavi convicted him, sentencing him to one year of rigorous imprisonment and a ₹1,000 fine. However, Nagesh appealed the ruling in the Karnataka High Court, which acquitted him in 2012.
Determined to see justice served, the Lokayukta approached the Supreme Court. On April 16, 2025, the apex court reversed the High Court’s acquittal, reinstating the original conviction. An arrest warrant followed, leading to Nagesh’s arrest this week.
The case underscores the Lokayukta’s persistence and sends a strong message that corruption cases, no matter how old or seemingly minor, will not be forgotten.