Daijiworld Media Network – Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Jul 12: Joint director of employment and training directorate under the department of labour, K Ramachandrappa, was on Wednesday July 10, arrested and immediately sent to jail after the judge pronounced the judgment in a case of corruption he was facing. Through the judgment, the special Lokayukta court here has found Ramachandrappa guilty of charges levelled against him.

Ramachandrappa was facing the charge of accepting a bribe of eight lac rupees for bringing an industrial training institute in Hassan district under the government’s grand-in-aid scheme. Judge of the court, N K Sudhindra Rao, awarded him five years of rigorous imprisonment apart from a fine of two lac rupees. Failing to pay up fine, he will have to undergo an additional six months of simple imprisonment, the judgment has prescribed.

Principal of Pushparavi Industrial Training Institute in Arasikere taluk of Hassan district had applied to the directorate of employment and training to bring the institute under the grant-in-aid scheme of  the government. When Ramachandrappa was contacted by the principal, he reportedly placed a demand for ten lac rupees to do the needful. After protracted negotiations, he agreed to bring down the demand to eight lac rupees, it was alleged. Office superintendent, K C Suresh Kumar, was deputed by Ramachandrappa to collect the bribe amount.

As the principal had informed the Lokayukta police in advance, Suresh Kumar was nabbed while accepting the bribe. Ramachandrappa was arrested thereafter. In this case, second accused, Suresh Kumar, has been exonerated by the court.

Although the officer immediately moved a bail petition, the judge rejected it and instructed the Lokayukta police to arrest him and hand him over to the central prison.