Even for a country as steeped in corruption as India this has to be a first. Faced with a transfer, a lecturer in a Hassan polytechnic decided to go right to the top to stall it. He didn't stop with merely approaching Governor H.R. Bharadwaj, but also sent him a cheque for Rs 1 lakh, asking him to give it a government officer to cancel his transfer.
Raj Bhavan lost no time in informing the Director of Technical Education (DTE), Dr. H. U. Talwar, about the bribe offer and the lecturer was suspended pending enquiry.
Lecturer, B.V Jayanth of the government Smt L V Polytechnic in Hassan had sent the cheque of `1 lakh to the Governor On September 14 last, requesting him to give the money to the under secretary to the state government (technical education) for cancelling his transfer from Chikmagalur to Bidar.
It appears the lecturer had acted hastily as he was not transferred to Bidar anyway, but to Hassan. “It's true that at first he was transferred to Bidar. But later he was transferred to Hassan as per his request ,” said a DTE officer.
The suspension order describes the lecturer as a habitual rule breaker, who often shot off letters to the Governor, ministers, DPAR, and Lokayukta against his seniors. .
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle Mr Jayanth, however, strongly defended sending the cheque of Rs 1 lakh to the Governor, saying it was just a symbolic protest against the rampant corruption in the Directorate of Technical Education . “I have written 65 letters to the state government and 13 letters to the Governor's office seeking action. I am a victim of corruption. I was not paid for seven months and received no transfer allowance. I have been victimised for the last four and a half years. I sent the cheque to the Governor as a symbolic protest. I will soon approach the high court in this matter," he said.