Corruption and negligence of duties: Anganwadi worker & ZP member gets 1 year RI for graft

Karwar: The District and Sessions Court of Karwar has sentenced Usha Hegde, a former Anganwadi worker and Zilla Panchayat member, to one year of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine for corruption and negligence of duties. The verdict was delivered by Principal District and Sessions Judge S. Vijay Kumar after a long-running inquiry into the case.

The case was brought forward by a complaint from Ibrahim Nabisab, alleging that Usha Hegde, who had been working as an Anganwadi worker since 2009 under the jurisdiction of Karwar Lokayukta Police Station, contested the Uttara Kannada Zilla Panchayat elections held on December 31, 2010. She was elected as a member from the Badanagoda Zilla Panchayat constituency but failed to resign from her post as an Anganwadi worker, continuing to hold both positions simultaneously.

Usha Hegde was accused of neglecting her duties in both positions, failing to properly perform her responsibilities as an Anganwadi worker and as a Zilla Panchayat member.

It was also alleged that she created false attendance records, fraudulently signing documents to claim that she was present at meetings organized by the Zilla Panchayat. She received an honorarium of ₹88,630 from the government as an Anganwadi worker while serving in both roles, between January 2011 and November 2012.

Additionally, Usha Hegde was accused of not attending her Anganwadi duties properly, creating false

documents, and falsely signing the attendance book. These actions led to charges being filed under Section 13(1)(c) and Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

After a thorough investigation by the Karwar Lokayukta Police, a chargesheet was filed under the Anti-Corruption Act. During the trial, the court found that Usha Hegde had violated her responsibilities as a representative of the people and had engaged in corrupt practices.

The court, concluding that her actions were unlawful, sentenced her to one year of rigorous imprisonment, along with a fine.

Usha Hegde’s defense, led by her lawyer N.V. Nayaka, argued that there was no law preventing her from receiving salaries from two positions when she was elected as a Zilla Panchayat member. They also contended that Hegde was unaware of any such rule at the time.

However, Special Public Prosecutor L.M. Prabhu, representing the Lokayukta, argued that Usha Hegde’s actions were a clear violation of public trust, and her simultaneous holding of both positions without performing the required duties amounted to corruption and deception. The court ultimately sided with the prosecution, stating that as a public representative, Usha Hegde had failed to act responsibly, leading to her conviction.