Hubballi, 30 March

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 said.

“Acting on a credible complaint, our team conducted a trap and caught the accused officer while accepting Rs 6 lakh,” Devraj 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.

A team led by Bengaluru Lokayukta SP Shiv Prakash Devaraj carried out the operation and caught the accused red-handed during the transaction, a Lokayukta official said.

“We have registered a case, and the investigation is in progress,” he added.