Karnataka: Commercial tax deputy commissioner caught taking Rs 6 lakh bribe
Hubballi (Karnataka) (PTI): The Deputy Commissioner of the Commercial Tax Department, Bharath Kumar Hegde, was caught on Monday while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 6 lakh, Lokayukta officials said.
Hegde, 48, was trapped while receiving the money from Ankola-based businessman Vishwajit Nayak, 53, following a complaint lodged with the Lokayukta, Bengaluru Lokayukta Superintendent of Police Shiv Prakash Devaraj told PTI.
“Acting on a credible complaint, our team conducted a trap and caught the accused officer while accepting Rs 6 lakh,” he said.
According to officials, Nayak had purchased eight tipper trucks in 2019 and was eligible for an Input Tax Credit (ITC) of around Rs 60 lakh, of which he had claimed Rs 34 lakh.
The Commercial Tax Department had registered a case alleging that the ITC was claimed illegally and had initiated an inquiry.
Nayak had been summoned four times earlier for questioning and was called again earlier on Monday.
It is alleged that the officer demanded a bribe of Rs 10 lakh, but finally settled for Rs 6 lakh to close the case.
“A team led by Bengaluru Lokayukta SP Shiv Prakash Devaraj carried out the operation and secured the accused during the transaction,” a Lokayukta official said.
“We have registered a case, and the investigation is in progress,” he added.
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AAP accuses Chadha of indulging in 'soft PR', dodging key issues in Parliament
New Delhi (PTI): The AAP on Friday hit back at party MP Raghav Chadha, accusing him of shying away from raising issues against the Centre in Parliament and instead engaging in "soft PR".
Delhi Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) President Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that Chadha failed to toe the party's line on several matters in Parliament and did not join opposition walkouts on key issues.
"We all are soldiers of Arvind Kejriwal, the Centre doesn't care about soft PR or talking about samosas at airport canteens when bigger issues are at stake," Bharadwaj said in a video posted on X.
"Whenever the Opposition staged a walkout in Parliament, you (Chadha) did not participate. You did not raise issues concerning Punjab, from where you are elected, and you hid in a foreign country when former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal was arrested," he added.
AAP national media in-charge Anurag Dhanda also criticised Chadha, questioning whether someone who "fears" Prime Minister Narendra Modi can fight for the country.
"In West Bengal, the right to vote is being snatched away. When a proposal against the CEC came up in the House, you (Chadha) refused to sign it," Dhanda said on X.
"In Parliament, we get limited time to speak, and it can be used either to fight for the nation or discuss trivial matters like cheaper samosas at airport canteens," Dhanda said, adding that Chadha has been hesitant to speak on "real issues" for the last few years.
The remarks came after Chadha earlier in the day said he was "silenced, not defeated", a day after being removed as the AAP's deputy leader in Rajya Sabha.
