Lokayukta raid in Bantwal exposes alleged ₹20,000 bribe demand at taluk office

Bantwal: A Lokayukta raid at the Bantwal taluk office on Wednesday afternoon has led to a case being filed against three individuals, including Deputy Tahsildar Rajesh Naik, over alleged bribery in a land record transfer case.

Allegations of bribery in long-pending property case

The case traces back to 2021, when Pushparaj, a resident of Sajipamunnur, applied to transfer his late mother’s property account (Pouthi Khata). The application followed a legal dispute, after which the District Commissioner’s court approved the land grant order. The Assistant Commissioner’s court subsequently instructed the Bantwal Tahsildar to transfer the property account for Survey Number 102/1 in Sajipamunnur village to Pushparaj’s name.

However, the process stalled in April 2025, with the file pending at the Bantwal Tahsildar’s office. According to the complaint, case worker and First Division Assistant Santhosh allegedly demanded ₹1,500 to process the file, while Deputy Tahsildar Rajesh Naik allegedly sought ₹20,000 purportedly to pass on to the Tahsildar.

Evidence leads to Lokayukta intervention

The complainant gathered evidence of the alleged demands and approached the Mangaluru Lokayukta Police Station. Based on the complaint, a case was registered against Naik and Santhosh. A middleman, identified as Ganesh from Vamapadavu, was also implicated for facilitating the transaction.

On Wednesday, Lokayukta officers intercepted the alleged bribe handover near a temple in BC Road. The operation resulted in the detention of all three accused for questioning. Officials have confirmed that they will also investigate the role of the Bantwal Tahsildar in the case.

High-level raid team in action

The raid was led by Lokayukta SP Kumarachandra, assisted by DySPs Gaana P. Kumar and Suresh Kumar, along with Inspectors Chandrashekhara and Bharathi. Additional Lokayukta staff also participated in the bust.

Authorities have stated that the investigation will cover not only the bribe allegations but also procedural lapses that caused the three-year delay in the khata transfer process.