Mangaluru: The Lokayukta Police arrested an aided school convener in Karnataka's Mangaluru for allegedly taking a bribe of five lakh rupees in Karnataka's Mangaluru, officials said.

According to a press release by Lokayukta Police Superintendent of Police (SP) C A Simon, the accused was identified as Jyothi Poojary, the convener of Niranjana Swamy aided school in Bajpe, on the outskirts of Mangaluru.As per the official statement, Shobha Rani, a retired teacher of the same school requested Jyothi Poojary to sign her pension documents and forward them to the regional education officer for approval.

Without acknowledging the application, the accused Jyothi Poojary demanded a bribe of Rs 5 lakh from Shobha Rani, added the official press release.

Subsequently, the Lokayukta police apprehended Jyothi Poojary on July 7 while she was receiving Rs 5 lakh, and seized the amount, said the official statement.

Earlier in an unrelated incident, the Economic Offences Wing (EoW) of Vigilance Bureau (VB), Ludhiana arrested a clerk for safekeeping of the amount after taking from the former.

The nabbed officer has been identified as Rohit Sharma alias Rohit Kumar, a clerk posted at SDM Malerkotla.

Notably, EoW of VB earlier had arrested Kanoongo Vijaypal for accepting a bribe of rupees 5 lakh in two instalments from complainant Karamjit Singh resident of village Bhaini Kalan in lieu of getting family partition (Khangi Takseem) of his land done and providing compensation of the land acquired for a road, the release stated.

According to the official spokesperson of the Vigilance Bureau said that following the investigations into this case the VB has found the involvement of clerk Rohit Sharma, who is posted as a reader with SDM Malerkotla for receiving the amount from accused Kanoongo for its safekeeping.

He said that the accused clerk has been arrested.