CHIKKABALLAPUR: The Lokayukta police have arrested people, including two government staffers for demanding Rs 10 lakh as bribe from a retired defence personnel to allot land for him under the defence quota. The arrested include Village Assistant N Prakash of the Vyjakur revenue circle in Kaiwara hobli of Chintamani taluk, land surveyor P N Nagaraj of the Chintamani taluk office and farmer leader Kadire Gowda.
Ex-serviceman Shivananda Reddy, a resident of Vinayaka Layout in Venkatagiri Kote here, had filed an application with the local authorities for grant of land under the defence quota. However, even after several years, his petition had not been accepted. Fed up of the delay, he approached farmer leader Kadire Gowda for help. Kadire Gowda then struck a deal with Prakash and Nagaraj and the trio demanded Rs 10 lakh for his application to be processed.
Shivananda Reddy had taken out a padayatra from Chintamani to Chikkaballapur and even staged a protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru, but nothing worked. He finally approached the Lokayukta police and lodged a complaint.
Reddy joined the Army in 1987. When he was posted in the Poonch sector in 1999, he sustained serious injuries on his right side during night patrol. After he recovered, was discharged with a disabled concession certificate from the army. He then decided to settle in his hometown and pursue agriculture.