Chennai: Vandalur zoo ranger gets 6-years jail for taking bribe 10 years ago

Chennai: The Chengalpattu Judicial magistrate court on Tuesday awarded a six-year imprisonment term for a forest ranger in Vandalur Zoo who was arrested on a bribery charge nearly 10 years ago.

The forest ranger of Vandalur Zoo, Sengottan, was arrested by the sleuths of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption for demanding and taking a bribe from a contractor in 2008.

DVAC officials trapped Vandalur forest range officer while he was receiving a bribe amount of Rs 5,000 from the contractor. DVAC sources said Sengottan allegedly asked the contractor to give him Rs 5000, to provide him with a bill on the contract of the lion safari in the Vandalur zoo.

As the contractor did not want to pay a bribe, he approached DVAC and lodged a complaint against Sengottan.

Following the complaint, the DVAC sleuths laid a trap and directed him to 'give' Rs 5,000 to Sengottan.

"On the advice of officials, he handed over the chemically-treated currencies, while the sleuths were waiting for Sengottan to accept the money," the sources said.

When Sengottan reportedly accepted the bribe, the sleuths pounced on him and caught him red-handed.