The Karnataka Lokayukta has trapped a MLA from the Bharatiya Janata Party while he was accepting a bribe of Rs 5,00000 on Thursday.

Lokayukta Justice Santhosh Hegde told rediff.com that the MLA, Y Sampangi had promised a person named Farooq that he would settle a dispute regarding a site in Bengaluru [Images]. He also demanded Rs 5 lakh as bribe towards the same.

Farooq had initially approached the police regarding his dispute, but was directed to meet the MLA. He was told that only the MLA could sort out the matter following which he decided to meet the MLA.

The meeting was fixed at the legislators home in Bengaluru for Thursday afternoon. While the money was changing hands, Farooq recorded the entire conversation and handed it over to the Lokayukta.

The Lokayukta team reached the spot and seized Rs 50,000 in cash and a cheque for Rs 4.5 lakh. Justice Hegde said that the MLA during questioning said that he was taking the money to settle the dispute but also added that the amount was not meant for him. However the Lokayukta team says that the conversation suggests clearly that the amount was meant for the MLA.