The Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Karnataka Energy Minister KJ George, Jyothi Prakash, was arrested by Lokayukta sleuths in Bengaluru on Saturday, October 4, evening, after being caught red-handed while accepting a bribe.
According to a statement issued by the Lokayukta, Prakash (50), an Executive Engineer with the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd (KPTCL), and his driver, Naveen M (34), were arrested for allegedly demanding and receiving a bribe from a contractor.
The complainant, Anantharaju K M (37), a resident of Byadarahalli, had approached the Lokayukta alleging that Prakash demanded a bribe for issuing a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to DR Developers for sanctioning an electricity connection. While the initial demand was Rs 1 lakh, the accused allegedly agreed to settle for Rs 50,000. Acting on the complaint, Lokayukta officials laid a trap, during which the money was handed over and the OSD was caught in the act.
Both Prakash and Naveen were immediately taken into custody. The Lokayukta has booked them under Sections 7(a) and 7(A) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.