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KGF MLA caught after ‘accepting’ bribe

Staff Reporter

Y. Sampangi is said to have demanded Rs. 5 lakh from a businessman

It is the first time in the State that a legislator has been booked for alleged acceptance of bribe
He is now in judicial custody

. — Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

KGF MLA Y. Sampangi (second fron right) being taken out of the Legislator’s Home by Lokayukta police in Bangalore on Thursday

BANGALORE: The Lokayukta police on Thursday caught a Bharatiya Janata Party MLA while he was allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs. 5 lakh — Rs. 50,000 in cash and the balance as a cheque — at the Legislators’ Home here. This is the first time in the State that a legislator has been booked for alleged acceptance of bribe. He is now in judicial custody.

Y. Sampangi, representing Kolar Gold Fields reserved constituency, reportedly demanded Rs. 5 lakh from Farook, a businessman from Andersonpet, to close a case regarding a disputed site in Kolar Gold Fields.

Lokayukta N. Santhosh Hegde told presspersons that Mr. Farook’s site was taken over allegedly by Illias, Nayaaz and Khan Fiaz, with forged documents. Mr. Farook filed a case in the civil court and tried to lodge a complaint against the three persons with the Andersonpet police, who turned him down and instead registered a complaint against him by the other three.

Mr. Farook went to the police station and sought to know the reason why the others’ complaint had been accepted and not his. “Sub Inspector Pasha and Inspector Laxmaiah asked Farook to approach the Deputy Superintendent of Police or the MLA,” Mr. Hegde said. Mr. Farook met Mr. Sampangi, who allegedly demanded Rs. 5 lakh to make the police file a “B” report. “When Farook said he could not produce the entire amount, Mr. Sampangi asked him to bring Rs. 50,000 in cash and a self-cheque for the remaining amount to the Legislators’ Home on Thursday,” said Mr. Hegde.

The businessman recorded the conversation he had with the MLA and played it before the Lokayukta police on Wednesday. A case was registered and a team, headed by Superintendent of Police Madhukar Shetty, went to Mr. Sampangi’s room at the Legislators’ Home. They caught him post-transaction, as he was directing Sub Inspector Pasha, over telephone, not to trouble Mr. Farook. “This act of Mr. Sampangi indicates that he has done such work earlier too,” Mr. Hegde alleged and said that the MLA had been booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Action left to party

Unlike for Government officials, where the Lokayukta police writes to the Government seeking a suspension, this time it has only apprised Assembly Speaker Jagadish Shettar of the action. “We cannot seek any disciplinary action against the legislator. It is left to the political party to take action,” Mr. Hegde said.

However, the Lokayukta police will continue with its investigation. “Before filing charge-sheet, we will approach the Speaker for sanction to prosecute the legislator,” he said, and cited various Supreme Court rulings as precedent.

Asked if the Lokayukta police was optimistic about getting the sanction, Mr. Hegde said: “The Supreme Court has clearly laid down that in cases of corruption, the sanction is automatic. When we have the evidence, there should not be any problem.”

To a question, he said if Mr. Farook requested police protection, it would be given to him. Additional Director-General of Police (Lokayukta) Rupak Kumar Dutta said the two policemen involved had been arrested. He said the Lokayukta police would not investigate the assets acquired by Mr. Sampangi.

When contacted, Mr. Jagadish Shettar said he would consult the State Law Department to decide the future course of action.

BJP suspends Sampangi

An embarrassed BJP suspended Mr. Sampangi from party membership. The BJP State unit president D.V. Sadananda Gowda said the party would constitute a team to look into the episode. The future course of action would be initiated based on the outcome of the inquiry to be conducted by the Lokayukta.

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