Sleuths from the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption unit, Namakkal Detachment, arrested a Surveyor and a Village Administrative Officer (VAO) in Aniyar village, Namakkal taluk, for demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹5,000 for the subdivision of land and issuance of patta to an applicant.
P. Thirumurugan (35) of Vallipuram had submitted an online application requesting a land survey and the issuance of a separate patta. The Namakkal Tahsildar’s office forwarded the application to Taluk Surveyor Ashokkumar and VAO Velusamy (56) for processing. However, the surveyor demanded ₹5,000 to complete the work. Unwilling to pay the bribe, Thirumurugan alerted the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption officials, who then set up a trap. The surveyor had asked the applicant to hand over the money to the VAO.
On Tuesday at 7 p.m., the VAO accepted the bribe, and officials caught him red-handed. Subsequently, they also picked up the surveyor. A case was registered under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and both were arrested.
Published – February 05, 2025 05:36 pm IST