Police recover cash, liquor from home of Bengaluru municipal officer following raids

Bengaluru: The arrest of a Bengaluru Municipal officer on Monday led to the recovery of cash, liquor, government files and seals of his superiors, authorities said.

The assistant director in the Town Planning Department of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Devendrappa had demanded a bribe of Rs 40 lakh from Sigmis Breweries to issue an occupancy certificate to their completed building, the anti-corruption bureau said in a press release.

Based on a complaint, a trap was laid. When the executives of Sigmis paid Rs 20 lakh as the first instalment of the bribe, the sleuths caught Devendrappa red-handed.

A search in his car led to the recovery of cash totalling Rs 7.4 lakh and over 50 BBMP files, the release said. A raid on Devendrappa’s residence led to the haul of 120 liquor bottles of high-end brands, a variety of cars, many bank accounts, fixed deposits and 430 BBMP files related to his department, it said.

Besides, the official was found to be having the seals of his superiors with him, it said. “The Excise Department will interrogate him separately for possessing huge quantity of liquor,” the release said.