Mangaluru : Lokayukta officials of Mangaluru on Thursday caught Nagaraju, junior engineer at Kinnigoli Town Panchayat, and M.R. Swamy, chief officer of the same panchayat, while allegedly receiving bribe from a Class I PWD contractor for passing a Bill.

It is said that the junior engineer had demanded Rs.52,000 bribe for passing the Bill of Rs. 9.77 lakh for developing a government water body S. Kodi under the Fifth Finance Commission grants of 2022-23, under the jurisdiction of the panchayat. In that Rs.37,000 was for himself and the remaining Rs.15,000 to the chief officer.

The contractor had paid Rs 7,000 to Nagaraju earlier. The junior egineer was caught while accepting the balance Rs. 30,000 from the contractor on Thursday. Swamy was caught while accepting Rs.15,000. They were arrested.