Corpn official held for taking Rs5,000 bribe

Trichy: A revenue official of the Trichy City Corporation was arrested by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) on Thursday for allegedly accepting a Rs5,000 bribe to process a property tax payment and name transfer for an apartment.The accused, Ramamurthy, works as a Revenue Assistant-cum-Bill Collector at the corporation’s Ponmalai zonal office.According to DVAC officials, the complainant, Sakthi Ganapathy of Ponmalai, had approached Ramamurthy to complete the property tax and name transfer formalities. Ramamurthy allegedly demanded Rs5,000 to process the application.Unwilling to pay the bribe, the complainant lodged a complaint with the DVAC’s Trichy unit.

Based on the complaint, officials laid a trap on Thursday.Ramamurthy was caught red-handed while allegedly accepting the chemically treated cash from the complainant at the Ponmalai zonal office. He was arrested and booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act.He was later produced before a magistrate and remanded to judicial custody. Further investigation is underway.