Bidar: The Bidar Urban Development Authority (BUDA) Commissioner Srikant Chimkode, member Chandrakant Reddy, and their associate Siddu Huggar were caught red-handed by the Lokayukta police on Friday while accepting a ₹10 lakh bribe for granting approval to sell non-agricultural (NA) land plots.
Bribe and Operation Details
The accused had demanded a ₹50 lakh bribe to approve the release and sale of 60% of the non-agricultural land plots in survey number 26 of Chikkapet, Bidar. They had agreed to accept ₹10 lakh as an advance payment. The Lokayukta police conducted a raid near Dal Mill in Pratap Nagar, Bidar, where the money was being handed over. Following the seizure of the cash, the Lokayukta police also took BUDA Commissioner Srikant Chimkode and member Chandrakant Reddy into custody.
Lokayukta Police Statement
“The complaint was filed by real estate businessman Satish Naubad. During the operation, ₹10 lakh in cash was seized. Further investigation revealed that Srikant Chimkode is the son-in-law of BJP leader and first-class contractor Gurunath Kollur,” said Lokayukta SP Umesh B.K.
Team Involved in the Raid
The raid was conducted under the leadership of SP Umesh B.K., supported by DySP Hanumantharaya and Inspectors Santosh Rathod, Babasaheb Patil, and Arjunappa. Other team members included Vishnureddy, Srikant, Shantalingappa, Vijay Shekhar, Adeppa, Kishore Kumar, Kushal, Bharat, Shuklodhan, and Suvarna.100 Engineering Colleges in Karnataka to Be Adopted by Corporate Firms
This incident has raised serious questions about administrative integrity in Bidar district, with public demands for a thorough and transparent investigation.
