Lokayukta arrests Dharwad tahsildar over ₹50 lakh bribe; cash seized in late-night trap

The Lokayukta Police have arrested Sachchidanand Kachanur, tahsildar of Dharwad, on allegations that he accepted ₹50 lakh as a bribe for the rectification of land records. He was produced before the Lokayukta Special Court in Dharwad on Thursday, which remanded him in judicial custody till October 1.

Officials said Mr. Kachanur was caught in a late-night trap near Karnatak College in Dharwad on Wednesday. Cash amounting to ₹50 lakh was seized during the operation, they said.

According to the Lokayukta Police, the officer had allegedly demanded ₹1 crore — to be paid in two instalments of ₹50 lakh each — along with one acre of land. The demand was allegedly linked to changes in the title records of a 33-acre plot at Yerikoppa village, about 12 km from Dharwad on the Pune–Bengaluru National Highway.

The landowner, Manjunath of Bagalkot, is said to have approached the Lokayukta Police after the demand was made. On the basis of his complaint, a case was registered and a trap was arranged. The ₹50 lakh in cash was seized during the operation, officials said.

The Lokayukta Police said they were investigating the circumstances of the alleged demand, including whether any other persons were involved. Officers are also examining documents connected with the mutation and title-transfer process for the Yerikoppa property. Lokayukta officials described the operation as a significant trap involving a serving officer of the Revenue Department and a substantial cash seizure. Further investigation is under way.

The case also has a political dimension. Speaking to presspersons, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi urged the State government to order a judicial inquiry into the matter. He said he had information that some Congress leaders were present when the cash was being handed over, and alleged that investigating officers sent them away from the scene under pressure. He demanded a thorough inquiry into the alleged involvement of Congress leaders in the case.

These are allegations. Mr. Joshi did not place any evidence for them in public, and the Lokayukta Police have not commented on them. They have not been independently verified.

It is important to note what an arrest and remand mean, and what they do not. Judicial custody is not a finding of guilt. Mr. Kachanur has not been convicted of any offence and is entitled to the presumption of innocence. The allegations against him will have to be established through the investigation and the legal process.

The Karnataka Lokayukta is the State's anti-corruption ombudsman, constituted under the Karnataka Lokayukta Act, 1984, to inquire into complaints of corruption and maladministration against public servants. Its police wing carries out trap operations, which are typically conducted after a complaint is received and initial verification is done, with the details of the currency notes used recorded as evidence.