Karnataka: Lokayukta complaint filed against media adviser to CM Basavaraj Bommai over ‘cash handouts’ to journalists

The Janadhikara Sangharsha Parishat (JSP), a group involved in anti-corruption campaigns, filed a complaint with the Lokayukta police on Friday alleging that chief reporters at a prominent English and Kannada daily were given bribes in the guise of Diwali gifts by the media coordinator to CM Bommai.

“We are aware of a serious issue of bribes being distributed to chief reporters of several media houses by the chief minister of Karnataka through his media coordinator,” says the complaint filed by the JSP with the Lokayukta police seeking an investigation under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

According to the complaint, the chief reporter of a prominent Bengaluru-based daily received Rs 1 lakh from the media coordinator and reported the matter immediately to the chief editor/CEO “who advised him to return the money”. The complaint further says that the chief reporter of a prominent Kannada daily associated with the English daily was also given money in the guise of Diwali gifts and the matter was reported to the management and the money was returned.

The chief reporter of the Kannada daily has sent a letter to the chief minister “expressing strong condemnation” and “has received an apology” from the office of the CM, the complaint states.

“This amounts to unethical, immoral usage of money by the CM of Karnataka so as to unduly influence the media to work in his government’s favour,” states the complaint by the JSP.