Fleecing Kodagu flood victims: ACB traps Madikeri Town Municipality Bill Collector

Madikeri: Make hay when the sun shines goes the proverb that means act while an opportunity exists or to take action while a situation is favourable. This Bill Collector from Madikeri Town Municipal Council saw an opportunity to make some money when the State Government decided to hand over the houses built for 2018 flood victims.

He then approached a beneficiary and told him that he has to pay Rs. 25,000 bribe to get a Government house. Not taking things lying down, the beneficiary, however, complained to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) that caught the Bill Collector red-handed while accepting the bribe on Friday. The bill collector has been identified as 35-year-old Lohit.

As his house was washed away during floods and landslides in 2018, Ganesh, a resident of Indiranagar in Madikeri, had applied for a Government house and had submitted his application in the Madikeri Town Municipality. The State Government had launched a project to build over 840 houses for the victims in Jamboor and Madenadu. Over 463 houses have been built so far and handed over to beneficiaries on June 4.

Accordingly, Ganesh too got his house. But claiming that the house will be fully under Ganesh’s possession only if he paid Rs. 25,000, Lohit demanded the money. He also told Ganesh that his (Lohit) efforts resulted in Ganesh getting a free house. As Lohit’s demand persisted, Ganesh paid up Rs. 5,000.

Not stopping at this, Lohit demanded the remaining Rs. 20,000. Fed up with his demands, Ganesh lodged a complaint with the Kodagu ACB. As per the trap laid by the ACB, Ganesh called up Lohit and asked him to come near the APMC office on Friday afternoon. The ACB sleuths, who were waiting for Lohit, trapped him red-handed while accepting Rs. 20,000.