Udupi: Gram Panchayat staff booked for allegedly misappropriating Rs 4.54 lakh in house tax collections

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, Aug. 14, 2026: Hebri police have registered a case against a staff member of Shivapura Gram Panchayat for allegedly misappropriating over ₹4.54 lakh collected as house tax.

According to a complaint lodged by Ashok, Panchayat Development Officer (PDO) of Shivapura Gram Panchayat, Manjunath (40), who was serving as a bill collector, is accused of failing to deposit the collected tax amount into the gram panchayat’s bank account.

The complaint alleges that Manjunath collected ₹1,18,367 during 2023-24 and ₹3,36,021 during 2024-25 towards house tax, amounting to a total of ₹4,54,388. However, the amount was allegedly not remitted to the panchayat account.

Instead, he is accused of using the funds for personal purposes, resulting in the alleged misappropriation of public money and breach of trust.

Based on the complaint, Hebri police have registered a case against the accused under Sections 316(4), 318(2) and 314 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Section 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, and have initiated further investigation.