Daijiworld Media Network – Kolar (SP)

Kolar, Nov 28: Kolar district superintendent of police, K P Puttaswamy, was to proceed for a 40-day special training scheduled to be held in Hyderabad, on Saturday November 28. He was caught by the Lokayukta police, while accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000 from a subordinate worker a day before.

Based on a complaint filed by a constable from the town police station here, a Lokayukta team led by superintendent of police (SP), Madhukar Shetty and others caught the SP red-handed. The team which raided the house of the SP recovered Rs 1.65 lac in cash.

As per the information provided by the Lokayukta team, P P Prakash, who is an ex-serviceman, working as a constable in the town police station here, had become ill and gone on leave. After rejoining the duties, he failed to provide details and certificates. After the departmental inquiry was conducted against him for this lapse, the constable apologized. However, instead of showing lenience, the department conducted another inquiry against him.

At that time, Prakash is said to have approached the superintendent of police, who reportedly demanded a bribe of Rs 25,000 to show lenience in the case. Even after he paid it, Prakash was handed the punishment of compulsory retirement from service. When Prakash approached the SP in this connection, the latter reportedly demanded an additional Rs 10,000 from him for favouring him. Frustrated, Prakash directly went to the office of the Lokayukta in Bangalore and complained about this harassment.

At around 12.30 pm on Friday, the constable entered the office of the SP with Rs 10,000 in his hand and placed a packet of Rs 100 notes on the SP’s table. At the time the SP touched cash, a burqa-clad lady constable of the Lokayukta suddenly entered the room, resisting attempts by the guard to stop her. As she signalled other Lokayukta officials, they rushed into the room and caught the SP off guard. The Lokayukta succeeded in maintaining so much secrecy, that long after the SP was caught, many in the office were unaware of the incident. Even the additional superintendent of police, Phanindra Singh, was informed about the incident later.

It is said that the SP initially did not cooperate, but later, apologized for his action. Simultaneously, the Lokayukta personnel raided the SP’s house. 46 year-old Puttaswamy, who was promoted from the KSP cadre to the IPS grade in 1997, had taken over as the superintendent of police of the district in the year 2008. He happens to be the second IPS officer in the state to have been nabbed by the Lokayukta.