Pramesh S Jain
The Lokayukta police conducted a raid in Nelamangala and exposed an alleged bribery racket involving a Panchayat Development Officer (PDO) and a YouTuber.
According to officials,PDO Geethamani of Kalalughatta Gram Panchayat and a private YouTube channel owner, Gangadhar,have come under the scanner for allegedly extorting money from the public in the name of facilitating official work.
Background of the case:
The complainant,Faizulla Saheb,a resident of Hegganahalli,had applied for a property khata transfer at the Kalalughatta Panchayat.
It is alleged that PDO Geethamani demanded a bribe of Rs.1.5 lakh to process the application.
Instead of accepting the money directly, the officer allegedly routed the demand through Gangadhar, who runs a YouTube channel named “Chamundi.”
Gangadhar reportedly contacted the complainant multiple times, pressuring him to pay the amount to get the work done.
How the accused were caught:
Unable to bear the harassment,Faizulla Saheb approached the Lokayukta police and lodged a complaint.
Acting on the tip-off, officials laid a trap and caught Gangadhar red-handed while accepting the bribe amount from the complainant.
Shocking revelations during probe:
Preliminary investigation has revealed that Gangadhar had recently purchased a luxurious house in Nelamangala,allegedly worth crores,raising suspicion about disproportionate assets.
Officials also suspect that he maintained close links with local Panchayat authorities and was part of an organised network that intimidated citizens and extorted money under the guise of getting official work cleared.
Following Gangadhar’s arrest,the Lokayukta has intensified its probe against PDO Geethamani, who is believed to have orchestrated the bribery demand.
Further investigation is underway to uncover the extent of the network and possible involvement of other officials.
