Lokayukta Police trapped Shirahatti MLA Chandru Lamani and his two assistants while receiving a bribe in a hospital in Laxmeshwar town of Gadag district on February 21, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Shirahatti BJP MLA Dr. Chandru Lamani and two of his personal assistants were trapped by the Lokayukta Police while allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹5 lakh from a contractor in Laxmeshwar Town of Gadag district on Saturday.
The MLA allegedly demanded a bribe of ₹11 lakh for clearing a minor irrigation project. Class 1 contractor Vijay Pujar, from Chinchali village in Gadag taluk, complained to the Lokayukta Police.
On Saturday, at around 2:15 p.m., Dr. Lamani and his personal assistants, Manjunath Valmiki and Guru Naik, were trapped by the Lokayukta Police while accepting a bribe at Balaji Hospital run by him in Laxmeshwar town. He and his aides have been arrested.
Money thrown
When the Lokayukta Police conducted the raid, Dr. Lamani’s personal assistant, Guru Naik, reportedly threw away a cover containing ₹50,000 into the compound of a nearby private school. Along with the cover containing cash, the Lokayukta Police recovered ₹4.50 lakh in cash from the hospital.
The operation was carried out by DySP of Lokayukta Police Vijay Biradar, Inspector Paramesh Kavatagi and staff under the guidance of Gadag Lokayaukta SP Siddalingappa.
The Gadag Lokayukta Police have filed a case under Section 7(a) read with the PC Act 1988.
It may be recalled here that back in 2009, BJP MLA Y. Sampangi had been arrested by Lokayukta police for accepting bribe from a businessman to close a police case relating to a land dispute.
Protest
The arrest of MLA Dr. Chandru Lamani after being trapped by the Lokayukta Police led to snap protest by his supporters outside the hospital in Laxmeshwar. However the police intervened immediately and dispersed the crowd. The protesters alleged that district-in-charge Minister H.K. Patil and a Lambani seer were behind the whole development
Before contesting the Assembly election in 2023, Dr. Chandru Lamani was a taluk health officer at Shirahatti Taluk Hospital. A complaint was registered against him in Lokayukta office over alleged discrepancies in issue of OPD (Out Patient Department) slips. Subsequently he had resigned on August 31, 2021 and established Balaji Hospital in Laxmeshwar.
However, for almost two years his resignation was not accepted by the government. After his candidature was announced by the BJP, the then Deputy Commissioner of Gadag Vaishali M.L. had written to the Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare mentioning that his resignation was a ploy to escape from punishment of corruption charges and he had violated government cadre and recruitment rules by announcing his candidature to contest in election.
Subsequently his resignation was approved just few days before the Assembly election and he contested on BJP ticket and won by a margin of 28,520 votes.
Published – February 21, 2026 06:43 pm IST
