Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials on Thursday arrested recently appointed Kalaburgi City Corporation Commissioner Shankrappa Vanikyal and accountant Chennappa on the charge of accepting ₹14,500 bribe here on Wednesday night.
Mr. Vanikyal, who served as Kalaburagi Additional Deputy Commissioner, took charge as City Corporation Commissioner two months ago.
A company, owned by Sharanbasappa Ambesinghe, had applied for sanctioning of ₹7.5 lakh for COVID-19 Suraksha Helpline work executed during the pandemic. The corporation commissioner is said to have sought 2% bribe on the total bill amount.
Mr. Ambesinghe then lodged a complaint with ACB.
ACB sleuths caught Chennappa immediately after he received the bribe amount from the complainant.
During interrogation, he confessed that he collected the bribe amount as per the instructions of Mr. Vanikyal. The officials then collected the call records of Mr. Vanikyal and the accountant.
The ACB also recovered ₹1.45 lakh in cash from Chennappa, which he had collected as per the demands of Mr. Vanikyal.
The ACB officials then arrested Mr. Vanikyal and Chennappa.
