Karnataka: Gadag-Betgeri CMC commissioner absconding to evade arrest by ACB?

GADAG: Under investigation in a corruption case, commissioner of Gadag-Betgeri City Municipal Council Ramesh Jadhav, fearing arrest by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), is allegedly absconding since Monday.
Shaken by Jadhav’s dereliction of duty, the Gadag district administration has, however, put in place alternative arrangements to ensure that the civic agency’s day-to-day operations are not affected by the vacuum at the top.
Gadag deputy commissioner M Sundaresh Babu told TOI, “Jadhav’s absence is unofficial. I learnt in the evening on Tuesday that he has not been attending to his duties. However, in view of Gadag-Betgeri preparing for Bakrid festival and the many problems that have surfaced in the wake of recent showers, the CMC could not function without its commissioner and we entrusted Ramesh Vatagal, commissioner of the Gadag-Betgeri Town Development Authority the additional charge of the CMC.”
Superintendent of police (northern range), Belagavi BS Nemagouda confirmed that Jadhav was ‘accused number three’ in a corruption case. “He cooperated with our investigation, even attending an inquiry session. We are trying to gather more evidence. As of now, we are not considering his absence as hiding, since he has given an official undertaking assuring us of his cooperation should he be summoned. If he fails to honour this undertaking, we will initiate legal action,” said Nemagouda, confirming that an FIR had been registered against Jadhav and two other officials, who had already been arrested.
Assistant executive engineer with the Gadag-Betgeri CMC Vardhaman Huddar was caught red-handed by ACB sleuths accepting a bribe of Rs 25,000 from a sanitation contractor Abdul Salam Maniyar on July14, while Anilkumar Mudda, an executive engineer with the CMC, was caught the following day accepting a sum of Rs 10,000 from the same contractor. Citing the complaint, ACB police added Jadhav as ‘accused number three’ in the FIR, and Jadhav had been interrogated in connection with the racket on Monday.
Sources in the Gadag-Betgeri CMC said that Jadhav reported to work in the morning on Monday, but left after just half-an-hour. His phone, they said, remained turned off. When TOI called Jadhav’s mobile number for his response, it was found that his device was still switched off.