Karnataka official caught accepting Rs 50 lakh bribe to correct land records

A tahsildar in Karnataka's Dharwad district was caught by Lokayukta police while accepting a Rs 50 lakh bribe to rectify land records, officials said on Wednesday.

Dharwad Tahsildar Sachidananda Kuchanur was allegedly demanding Rs 50 lakh in cash and one acre of land worth Rs 1.5 crore from Bagalkot-based Manjunath Aralikatti, who had purchased 33 acres of land in Dharwad.

The Lokayukta police laid a trap at Karnataka College Dharwad (KCD), where Kuchanur was allegedly caught accepting the cash. He was subsequently taken into custody and the Rs 50 lakh was seized.advertisement❮❯ Read Full StoryWHAT WAS THE ALLEGED DEMAND?As per the Dharwad Lokayukta office, the alleged demand was made in connection with the rectification of the RTC records relating to the land purchased by the complainant.

The Lokayukta said Kuchanur had allegedly demanded one acre of land, valued at Rs 1.5 crore, along with Rs 50 lakh in cash. During the trap operation, the tahsildar allegedly accepted the Rs 50 lakh cash.

The complaint was filed by Manjunath Aralikatti, a resident of Bagalkot, Karnataka.LOKAYUKTA REGISTERS CASE

The Dharwad Lokayukta police registered the case.

The work pending before the accused was the rectification of the RTC, according to the Lokayukta office.

Following the successful trap, Kuchanur was taken into custody. The Lokayukta police said the investigation is continuing.