Corporation official gets four years’ jail for taking Rs 10,000 bribe

Thiruvananthapuram: A corporation official was sentenced to four years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 35,000 by Vigilance court in Thiruvananthapuram for accepting a bribe to renew a restaurant licence.The convict was identified as T Mahesh, of Venganoor. Following the sentencing, he was shifted to Thiruvananthapuram Central Jail. Mahesh was serving as the in-charge of Vizhinjam zonal office under Thiruvananthapuram corporation when he was caught in a vigilance trap in 2020. According to the prosecution, a restaurant owner and a native of Kottarakkara applied for renewal of his establishment's licence for a restaurant operating at Kovalam. However, Mahesh allegedly harassed the applicant, claiming that old records related to the establishment were missing from the office. He then demanded a bribe of Rs 10,000 to "settle" the documentation issues and process the licence. Unwilling to pay the bribe, the complainant approached vigilance and anti-corruption bureau, which laid a trap. Mahesh was caught red-handed while accepting the money. The case was investigated by former deputy superintendents V Anil and C S Vinod of the vigilance's southern range. Public prosecutor Veena Satheesan appeared for the prosecution.