Hassan (Karnataka), Nov 8 (PTI) Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Sunday accused Hassan Deputy Commissioner K S Lathakumari and

Hassan (Karnataka), Nov 8 (PTI) Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Sunday accused Hassan Deputy Commissioner K S Lathakumari and

Hassan (Karnataka), Nov 8 (PTI) Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Sunday accused Hassan Deputy Commissioner K S Lathakumari and

Hassan (Karnataka), Nov 8 (PTI) Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Sunday accused Hassan Deputy Commissioner K S Lathakumari and District In-charge Minister Shivalinge Gowda of involvement in an alleged bribery racket, claiming that officials were demanding lakhs of rupees to clear files and that the DC had paid Rs 70 lakh to retain her post.

Lathakumari rubbished the allegations and ordered an inquiry. Chief Minister D K Shivakumar too spoke on behalf of his Minister.

Releasing what he claimed were 15 pages of WhatsApp conversations involving the Deputy Commissioner's personal assistant and another person, Kumaraswamy alleged that the chats exposed large-scale corruption in the district administration.

"Your job is that of a broker, isn't it? We have to pay the amount you give us to the DC. From the small amount left over, I have to distribute it among everyone in my section. The driver, gunman, another personal assistant, and everyone else have to be paid," Kumaraswamy read out from one of the purported conversations.

According to the Union Minister, the conversation concerned three stone crusher files and a land conversion matter in Sakleshpur.

He further alleged that Shivalinge Gowda had wanted to transfer the Deputy Commissioner after becoming the district in-charge minister, but she managed to retain her position by allegedly paying Rs 70 lakh through a Tahsildar.

Questioning Shivakumar's claims of zero tolerance towards corruption, Kumaraswamy asked what happened to complaints and applications received during the government's weekly Praja Seva programme, which he said involved expenditure of lakhs of rupees every Saturday.

"I have raised this issue because I genuinely want the government to put an end to such practices if it is sincere about tackling corruption. If such activities are curbed, we will be the first to felicitate the government," he said.

Kumaraswamy demanded a comprehensive investigation into the allegations.

Responding to the allegations, Latha Kumari said she had watched the video and examined a printed copy of the purported WhatsApp conversation.

She said an investigation was being initiated to establish its authenticity and identify the mobile phone from which it originated.

"We need to establish who created it, from whose mobile phone the WhatsApp chat originated, and whether it is genuine or whether anything in it has been altered," she told reporters in Hassan.

"We are now filing an FIR to investigate the origin and authenticity of the WhatsApp chat. I have also spoken to the Superintendent of Police. We are referring it to the cybercrime police. We have sought a report to establish whose mobile phone was used for the chat and whether it is fake, edited or genuine," Lathakumari said.

The Deputy Commissioner said the allegations had caused her considerable distress and described the claim that she had used illegal means to continue in her post as "false".

"This is very, very upsetting and hurtful. Instead of taking the WhatsApp chat in the form of a PDF to the press and making it public in this manner, an FIR should have been filed. The matter should have been brought to the notice of the Chief Secretary, and its seriousness should have been taken into consideration," she said.

She objected to the timing of the allegations, pointing out that officials were busy making arrangements for Hasanamba Temple festival, where lakhs of devotees throng.

"Who created the WhatsApp chat and what exactly it contains are separate matters. But making personal allegations of this kind, and false allegations at that, particularly against a Deputy Commissioner and against me, is very painful. I condemn these false allegations," she said.

Latha Kumari said she was responding because she had been receiving repeated calls from the media seeking her reaction.

"I was shocked when I heard what had been said. I wondered whether someone could make such false allegations. The claim that we had resorted to illegal means to continue in this post is completely false," she said.

"I will bring this to the notice of the Chief Secretary and also submit a written representation," the DC said.

CM Shivakumar, responding to the issue, said Shivalinge Gowda had expressed his anguish over the charges.

"What he (Shivalinge Gowda) says is this: as long as our opponents are strong, we will be able to provide good administration. We should consider our opponents as our friends," Shivakumar said.

"We should understand that they are trying to undermine us, so we continue doing our work. The Deputy Commissioner is doing good work. They (opponents) are complaining against her because she cannot act according to everything they say," he added.

The Chief Minister said he is monitoring the administration, and there was no need to worry.

The minister was not available for comment on it.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)