HD Kumaraswamy alleges officials in Hassan demanded Rs 60 lakh to clear crusher files

Hassan: Union minister HD Kumaraswamy on Sunday alleged that officials in Hassan district were demanding large sums of money to clear files and facilitate official work.

Addressing a press conference here, he released what he described as 15 pages of WhatsApp conversations, which he claimed pointed to demands for money to clear crusher-related files and land conversion proposals.

Reading out an excerpt from one of the purported conversations, Kumaraswamy said: "Your job is that of a broker, isn't it? We have to pay the amount you give us to officials. 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."


He alleged ₹60 lakh was demanded to clear three crusher-related files, of which ₹50 lakh was meant for the senior official concerned and ₹10 lakh for distribution among other staff. He referred to alleged payments for land conversion and other official work as well.

₹75 lakh had been paid to ensure that an official continued in a particular post, Kumaraswamy alleged.

He read out a purported WhatsApp message in which the sender claimed to have arranged the money from different sources and handed it over through an intermediary.