Kochi: A village officer was caught red-handed accepting a bribe of Rs 2,000 from a widow for completing transfer of registry ('Pokkuvaravu') in Ayyampuzha near Angamaly , around 40 km north of here, on Wednesday. The Kochi unit of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) arrested R. Sudheer, a native of Aluva, based on a complaint by one Aneesha Mol.
According to the sleuths, the victim approached the officer concerned to complete procedures connected with mutation of property for which a set of documents need to be sent to Tahsildar by the latter. However, the latter demanded Rs 2,000 for the same. "She approached us and lodged a complaint. A trap was laid and currencies with chemicals applied were given to the complainant for handing over to the accused. As directed by us, she went to the office of the village officer with the currencies while we waited outside," a VACB officer said.
The sleuths stormed into the office as soon as the currencies were handed over to Sudheer and recorded his arrest. Later during interrogation, the accused reportedly confessed to have 36 chit fund accounts besides five bank accounts. "All these accounts have a good sum of deposits," the officer said. The VACB Kochi unit has decided to send a report to its special cell recommending lodging of an additional case against the accused for amassing wealth disproportionate to known sources of income.
