A District Leprosy Officer attached to the Department of Health and Family Welfare was caught red-handed by the Karnataka Lokayukta Police while allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹15,000 from a doctor for approving a licence under the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Act, 2007.The accused officer has been identified as Dr. Bhujabali D. Yalagudri, 54, District Leprosy Officer, Bengaluru Urban District. A case has been registered against him under Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.According to the Lokayukta, the complainant, Dr. Muffassir Ahmed Muzammil, 25, a Unani practitioner residing in HBR Layout, had approached the officer to obtain approval for his KPME licence. It is alleged that Dr. Yalagudri demanded a bribe of ₹30,000 to sign and approve the licence application.Following the complaint, the Lokayukta Police laid a trap. The officer was allegedly caught while accepting ₹15,000, the first instalment of the demanded bribe.The accused has been secured, and further investigation is underway to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the alleged demand and acceptance of the bribe. Published - July 02, 2026 07:21 pm IST