The Aryavarth Express
Agency(Mangaluru): In a significant crackdown on corruption, the Lokayukta police apprehended the commissioner of the Mangaluru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), Mansoor Ali, along with broker Mohammed Salim, in the act of accepting an illicit payment of Rs 25 lakh. This sum was purportedly for the issuance of a Transferable Development Rights (TDR) certificate, highlighting a concerning case of corruption within urban development practices.
According to Cheluvaraju B, the Lokayukta’s acting Superintendent of Police, both Ali, who had demanded the bribe, and Salim, who received the money on Ali’s behalf, were arrested. This arrest was the culmination of a meticulous investigation following a complaint related to a land acquisition for municipal expansion purposes.
The situation unfolded when a landowner, after purchasing approximately 10.8 acres in the Mangaluru taluk, faced the Mangaluru City Corporation’s (MCC) need to acquire this land. The acquisition was intended for enlarging its solid waste management facility at Pacchanady, for which a TDR had been issued. Despite transferring the land title to MCC in early 2024, the process hit a snag when the MUDA commissioner, instead of processing the necessary TDR certificate, allegedly solicited a Rs 25 lakh bribe from the landowner.
Responding to these allegations, the Lokayukta police orchestrated a sting operation, successfully catching Salim in the act of accepting the bribe on Ali’s behalf. This operation was led by inspectors Amanulla A, Suresh Kumar B, and their team, under the direction of the Lokayukta’s acting SP.