Town Planning Officer Nabbed for ₹3 Lakh Bribe in Yadgir

A Lokayukta police team caught the Member Secretary of the Manvi Town Planning Office taking a ₹3 lakh bribe at the Yadgir Urban Development Authority (YUDA) office. The officials arrested were Sharanappa, who holds the additional charge of town planning for Manvi, and his driver Santosh Kumar. The raid was carried out on Friday, October 18, 2026, in Yadgir district of Karnataka. It followed a written complaint filed by Sudhakar, a resident of Manvi, who said the two men demanded ₹3 lakh to process the conversion of non‑agricultural plots into commercial land. Deputy Superintendent of Police Shivanand Pawadashetty led the operation and set a trap inside the YUDA premises. As the cash was handed over, the team seized it and detained both suspects. Police Inspector Ravi Purushottam and other Lokayukta staff from the Raichur office assisted the raid, which was overseen by Superintendent of Police Siddaraju. A case has been registered under Section 7(a)[A] of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, amended in 2018 to increase penalties for public‑office corruption. The investigation remains ongoing and officials have been sent for interrogation.

Context

Lokayukta bodies are independent agencies that probe corruption allegations against state officials. Bribes in land‑use approvals are a frequent problem in many Indian districts. Raids such as this aim to deter officials from exploiting their positions for personal gain.