TUMAKURU: The police have finally acted upon incidents of auctioning of seats in different Gram Panchayats by arresting three people at Turuvekere, and registering nine cases at Kunigal, Chelluru, Nonavinakere and Turuvekere police stations.
The arrested — Srinivasa, Sidde Gowda, and Huche Gowda — were allegedly involved in the bidding process at Muddanahalli under Kanatturu GP.
In Kunigal taluk, Jayarama of Kadumattikere under Kittanamangala GP in Kunigal taluk was booked as a video of him calling the aspirants for bidding of a seat went viral on social media.
Only Lakshmamma Ranganath has now remained in fray after, it is alleged, her husband bid and won the seat for her for Rs 11.75 lakh. Other residents of the village Manjunatha, a lawyer, Ranganatha Magadaiah and Nagaraju, who were allegedly involved in the bidding process, too have been booked, the police said.
The police have gathered evidence that a few seats at Mavinakere Gram Panchayat in Turuvekere taluk were auctioned for Rs 37.5 lakh and a seat reserved for a woman at Guddadahalli under Bidare GP in Gubbi taluk was auctioned for Rs 3.75 lakh. The Nonavinakere police in Tiptur taluk registered a case as a group of people allegedly tried to auction the seats at Anapanahalli and Alburu villages, which are going to the polls on December 27 under Phase II.