Karnataka high court refuses to stall probe in bribery case against Bangalore Electricity Supply Company engineer | Bengaluru News
Bengaluru: The Karnataka high court refused to stall investigation in a corruption case involving an assistant engineer of Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom), emphasising the status of pending work is not crucial for establishing demand and acceptance of bribes.Justice M Nagaprasanna delivered this ruling, while dismissing the petition by YHP Yathisha, assistant engineer in field operations and maintenance, Bescom. The case originated from a complaint by N Chandan Kumar, a work inspector at Sri Chakra Electricals, involving two power supply applications submitted on Feb 9, 2024, for buildings owned by Venkatesh and Ajay Kumar in Annapoorneshwari Nagar. On Feb 22, 2024, when the complainant contacted the accused, he was directed to speak with a contractor, Satish. Subsequently, on Feb 26, 2024, Satish demanded Rs 5 lakh for the work completion.Following negotiations at a hotel, the amount was reduced to Rs 3.8 lakh, which was recorded on the complainant’s phone. The exchange was scheduled for April 8, 2024, near Brigade Meadows beside KPTCL office. The trap was executed when the money, placed in a cover marked ‘Venkatesh Sweet Meat Stall’, was recovered from the accused’s vehicle.The accused challenged the proceedings, claiming insufficient evidence of demand and acceptance, as well as contending that no work of the complainant was pending with him. However, the court found clear documentation of the demand, including the pre-trap arrangements and recovery of Rs 3.8 lakh.“If the petitioner did not demand money, it is ununderstandable as to why the complainant would come to Venkateshwara Sweet Meat Stall with the money unless directed by the petitioner. Therefore, there is prima facie demand in the case at hand. Recovery is made from the car. The complainant was holding the cash. The recovery was made at the time when the petitioner was accepting the cash. The phenolphthalein test turned the hands of the petitioner to pink colour. The swab was taken at the spot from the hands. All these would prima facie lead to an inference that the petitioner demanded and accepted the bribe. At the time of acceptance, he was caught,” Justice Nagaprasanna pointed out.It becomes a matter of investigation, at the least, by Lokayukta police. There is no warrant to interfere in the case at hand at the stage of investigation, the judge further added, while rejecting the petition.
