Mangaluru: A police inspector attached to Bajpe Police Station was allegedly caught accepting a ₹5,000 bribe by Karnataka Lokayukta officials in Mangaluru on Monday, September 21, 2026.
The officer, identified as Inspector Balakrishna, was taken into custody after the Lokayukta police allegedly trapped him while accepting an additional payment from a complainant in connection with a cheating case registered at the Bajpe police station.
According to the Karnataka Lokayukta’s Mangaluru division, the inspector had allegedly demanded ₹25,000 from the complainant for releasing money that had been seized from an accused in the case. The Lokayukta action followed a complaint regarding the alleged demand.
Inspector allegedly demanded ₹25,000
According to the Lokayukta’s account, a cheating case had recently been registered at Bajpe Police Station.
During the course of the case, money had reportedly been seized from an accused. The inspector allegedly demanded ₹25,000 from the complainant for releasing the seized amount.
The complainant subsequently approached the Lokayukta police with information about the alleged demand, following which a case was registered at the Mangaluru Lokayukta Police Station.
The agency then initiated action against the police officer.
₹15,000 allegedly collected earlier
The Lokayukta alleged that Inspector Balakrishna had already collected ₹15,000 as an advance from the complainant.
The remaining amount allegedly included a further payment of ₹5,000, which became the subject of the trap operation conducted on September 21.
Lokayukta officials reportedly arranged the operation after receiving the complaint and allegedly caught the inspector while he was accepting the additional ₹5,000.
The action was carried out by the Mangaluru division of the Karnataka Lokayukta, which investigates allegations of corruption involving public servants.
Lokayukta takes inspector into custody
Following the alleged trap, Lokayukta officials took Inspector Balakrishna into custody.
A case has been registered at the Mangaluru Lokayukta Police Station in connection with the alleged bribe demand and acceptance.
The agency has begun further investigation into the circumstances surrounding the alleged demand and the money seized in the underlying cheating case.
The investigation will also establish the sequence of events leading to the alleged bribe transaction and determine whether any other persons were involved.
Action follows complaint from case-related party
The alleged bribe demand was reportedly linked to the release of money seized during the investigation of a cheating case.
The Lokayukta’s preliminary account indicates that the complainant approached the anti-corruption agency after the inspector allegedly demanded money for facilitating the release of the seized amount.
Such complaints are generally verified before a trap operation is conducted, with officials arranging for the alleged bribe amount to be handed over in circumstances that allow them to document the transaction.
In this case, the additional ₹5,000 allegedly demanded by the inspector was the amount involved in the trap.
Investigation is under way
The Lokayukta investigation is continuing, and further details are expected to emerge as officials examine the complaint, the alleged transaction and the circumstances surrounding the seized money.
The inspector’s alleged acceptance of the money forms the basis of the Lokayukta action, but the allegations will have to be established through the investigation and subsequent legal proceedings.
Being taken into custody or booked in a corruption case does not by itself establish guilt.
Lokayukta continues anti-corruption operations
The action against the Bajpe inspector is part of the Karnataka Lokayukta’s role in investigating allegations of corruption involving public servants.
Trap operations are undertaken following complaints alleging demands for illegal gratification. Such operations are intended to gather evidence regarding the alleged demand and acceptance of money.
For members of the public, anti-corruption agencies provide a channel through which allegations of bribery involving government officials can be reported and investigated.
The Mangaluru case now moves to the investigation stage, with Lokayukta officials examining the alleged bribe demand and the circumstances in which the inspector was reportedly caught accepting the additional amount.