Ex-Tamil Nadu Electricity Board lineman gets 3 years in jail for bribery

Chennai: A sessions court in Tiruvallur on Monday sentenced a former Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) lineman to three years of rigorous imprisonment for demanding and accepting a bribe in 2012. Mathiyalagan was found guilty of demanding and accepting 4,000 from a resident for providing a single-phase electricity connection.Ayesha Begum of Athipattu approached the TNEB office to secure power for her newly constructed house in 2012. Mathiyalagan demanded 4,000 as bribe. She reported the matter to the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) unit in Tiruvallur. DVAC officials apprehended the lineman when he accepted the cash. He was placed under suspension.On Monday, the judge found Mathiyalagan guilty and imposed three-year prison term, besides a fine of 20,000. He was escorted to the Puzhal prison. TNN