Union Minister Kumaraswamy accuses IAS officer of paying bribe to avoid transfer; officer denies charge

BENGALURU: Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has triggered a controversy by alleging that Hassan Deputy Commissioner Latha Kumari paid a bribe of Rs 75 lakh to avoid a transfer. He claimed that the money was paid to K.M. Shivalinge Gowda, the minister in charge of Hassan district. However, Latha Kumari has rejected the allegations as baseless and said she would file a police complaint against those spreading false information.

Kumaraswamy made the allegations while speaking to the media after visiting the Hasanamba Temple in Hassan. He also shared details of an alleged WhatsApp conversation between Latha Kumari's personal assistant, Sashikiran, and another unidentified person. According to Kumaraswamy, the conversation contained details of bribery transactions.

He alleged that officials in the Deputy Commissioner's office had collected bribes from quarry owners and builders of residential complexes in return for various approvals and land conversion permissions. He further claimed that Sashikiran collected money through middlemen and handed it over to Latha Kumari. Kumaraswamy also released copies of the WhatsApp messages allegedly linked to the transactions.

Meanwhile, Latha Kumari strongly denied all the allegations and said she would lodge a police complaint. She also warned that strict action would be taken if any improper messages had been sent from her office or her personal assistant's section.

"Character assassination through the spread of fake news cannot be accepted. Let there be a comprehensive investigation into the matter. Strict action should be taken against those found guilty," she said.