Kottayam: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has arrested an assistant executive engineer of the Minor Irrigation Department here while accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000 from a contractor.
Binu Jose, 55, of Kuruppan Parambil in Perunna, Changanassery, allegedly demanded the bribe for clearing bills to the tune of Rs 45 lakh related to a lift irrigation project the contractor had completed two years ago.
In his complaint to the VACB, the contractor said the assistant executive engineer had been constantly demanding bribes, and despite him paying Rs 10,000 each several times, the official had not cleared part of the bills for the past two years.
The contractor approached V G Vinod, superintendent of police in the anti-graft body, after the official demanded another Rs 10,000 for returning the security deposit of Rs 2.25 lakh.
The vigilance gave him phenolphthalein powder-coated notes to the tune of Rs 10,000, and the official was caught red-handed while securing the currency under her computer's keyboard.
Vigilance DySP K A Vidyadharan, inspectors Reji M Kunniparamban, S Jayakumar, G Anoop, Yatheendra Kumar, sub-inspectors Thomas Joseph, K S Suresh, J G Biju, assistant sub-inspectors Stanley Joseph, D Binu, V T Sabu, Rajeev, civil police officers T P Rajesh, V S Manoj Kumar, Anoop, Sooraj, K R Sumesh, K P Ranjini and Neetu Mohan were involved in the case.
Binu Jose will be produced before a court on Friday.
Fifty50 game in minor irrigation department
Kottayam: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has found that certain officials in the minor irrigation department demanded up to 50 per cent of the contract amount as bribe from contractors.
The VACB sleuths arrested Binu Joseph after keeping the official and others under surveillance for several days. "Not just me, others too take bribes," the official said while being arrested.
The official had not marked her attendance in the register on Wednesday and Thursday, the bureau officers said. It was also found that she has been owning landed property in nine places.
The minor irrigation contracts include works related to pumping water to paddy fields, clearing canals, construction of protection walls along canals and culverts, etc. If the contractor refuses to grease palms, the bills will be kept pending for years.
The anti-graft body said the complainant contractor had been regularly visiting the office for the past two years to get the security amount of Rs 2.25 lakh.
