Kottayam: Sam John T Thomas, headmaster of CNI Lower Primary School and Mohandas M K, Assistant Educational Officer (AEO) were suspended from service on Friday by the Kerala government on charges of accepting bribe from a teacher.
Sam was caught red-handed by a team of Vigilance officials while accepting Rs 10,000 as bribe from the woman teacher at his office in the school, officials said.
She was an employee at another school in the district.
According to the complainant, the bribe was allegedly demanded by the accused to be given to the AEO to regularise her service period.
The teacher informed a senior Vigilance official in the district about the demand for bribe by the headmaster, and investigators caught him with the money this morning, sources added.
Vigilance officials here said a probe would be conducted to find out whether the sub-district educational officer had any role in the crime.
Meanwhile, later in the day, General Education Minister V Sivankutty said both the headmaster and Kottayam West AEO Mohandas were suspended from the service in the wake of the incident.
The action was taken based on a preliminary inquiry conducted by the Director of Public Instruction (DPI), a statement issued by the Minister's office said.
The government would not tolerate any corruption, and it would be good to remember that corrupt officials are under surveillance, the minister added.
(With PTI inputs)
