Two arrested on graft charges in Tamil Nadu

KARUR: An executive officer and an office assistant in Old Jayankondam town panchayat were arrested on Monday on charges of demanding and accepting a bribe from a man for fixing tax on a housing site in Poovampadi village in Karur district.

Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), Karur detachment, caught executive officer Rajagopal and office assistant Sivakumar red-handed with the bribe amount of Rs 17,000.

They received the amount from Kumaresh, 25, of Poovambadi village.

Deputy superintendent of police (DSP) (in-charge), Karur detachment of DVAC, stated that Kumaresh, working as a salesman in a textile shop in Karur, had applied for fixing tax for a piece of three cents of land which his father acquired from his friend.

OA Sivakumar accepted the application and told him to meet him at the town panchayat office after measuring the house site three days later.

On August 9, Kumaresh visited the Old Jayankondam panchayat office to inquire about the tax assessment. Sivakumar informed him that a tax of Rs 13,000 was to be levied on his land and demanded an additional Rs 17,000 as a bribe, totalling Rs 30,000, to complete the tax assessment process.

When Kumaresh questioned it, Sivakumar asked him to speak to EO Rajagopal. Rajagopal advised Kumaresh to pay the amount demanded by Sivakumar and get his work done.

Unwilling to pay the bribe, Kumaresh lodged a complaint with the DVAC. Based on his complaint, a case was registered against Rajagopal and Sivakumar.

Following the advice of DVAC officials, Kumaresh met Rajagopal and Sivakumar at their office and handed over the cash. The team hiding in the office showed up and caught them red-handed.