Lokayukta nabs constable taking ₹20,000 bribe; accomplice flees

In a targeted anti-corruption operation on Thursday, Karnataka Lokayukta police apprehended a police constable while he was allegedly accepting a ₹20,000 bribe in Kalaburagi city. The arrest followed a complaint that the officer and his colleague had been extorting a local resident under the threat of falsely implicating his son.

The accused, identified as Parashuram and Veeresh, are attached to the Brahmapur Police Station. According to the complainant, Kanna Raju Patil of Bapu Nagar, the two constables had been visiting his home and pressuring the family. They allegedly accused his son, Karthik, of involvement in theft and robbery, warning that they would detain him overnight at the station and extern him from the area unless money was paid.

The policemen reportedly first demanded ₹1 lakh and received ₹50,000 as an advance. They later returned demanding an additional ₹20,000, prompting Patil to approach the Lokayukta authorities.

Acting on the complaint, Lokayukta officers laid a trap and caught Parashuram red-handed at the moment of the transaction. However, his colleague Veeresh sensed the operation and fled before officers could formally identify him.

Karnataka Lokayukta Superintendent of Police Siddaraju C. confirmed the arrest and said efforts are underway to trace the absconding constable. "Our officers caught Parashuram while he was accepting the bribe. Before they could identify Veeresh, he escaped from the spot. We will nab him shortly," he said.