Employment officer who took bribe from ineligible candidates booked

Chennai: The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) has booked an employment and training department official for allegedly taking bribe for issuing electrician/electrical helper licences to ineligible ITI candidates who had submitted false experience certificates.

R Rajasekar, an assistant training officer (ATO) (wireman), Ambattur ITI, had allegedly taken Rs 6,500 for issuing false certificates, DVAC said.

Though a complaint was lodged three years ago, the DVAC booked a case only on May 17 as they waited for concurrence from the department. The official is currently an ATO in the Chengalpet training institute.

The DVAC said in 2015, the director, employment and training, Guindy, announced an examination for electrical helper/electrician licence.

All principals of government ITIs were instructed to collect applications with annexure for the examination. Applications were sold from October 6 to November 5, 2015.

A committee of officials was formed to scrutinise applications. Rajasekar was one of the members in the committee that scrutinised 147 applications for electrician and helper licence examination for November 2015.

The DVAC’s allegation is that Rajasekar neither acted as a selection or a recommendation authority. The agency said three candidates approached Rajasekar seeking experience certificates. It alleged that Rajasekar demanded a bribe of Rs 10,000 each from them, but later reduced it to Rs 6,500.

Two candidates paid up Rs 13,000 and enclosed a forged experience certificate, DVAC said.

Rajasekar allowed the ineligible candidates to be selected for electrical helper licences in exchange of money. The DVAC booked Rajasekar for corruption, cheating and forgery.