The Kollam Vigilance Court on Monday sentenced a former revenue inspector of the Pandalam Municipality in Pathanamthitta to seven years’ imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹20,000 in a bribery case.

Reji George, a native of Kaippattur in Pathanamthitta, was convicted for accepting a bribe of ₹2,000 from a complainant from Pandalam in return for issuing an ownership certificate. The case dates back to 2017, when the complainant had applied to the Pandalam Municipality for the transfer of ownership of a house situated on ancestral property allotted to him.

According to the prosecution, Reji George, who was then serving as the revenue inspector, demanded ₹30,000 as a bribe to process the ownership transfer and issue the certificate in the complainant’s name. Vigilance officials caught him red-handed while he was accepting ₹2,000 as part of the demanded amount.

The court has directed that the sentences be served concurrently. Vigilance Court judge Dr Mohith C S delivered the verdict. Public Prosecutor Siju Rajan appeared for the Vigilance. Former DySP of the Pathanamthitta Vigilance unit, P D Shashi, conducted the investigation and filed the charge sheet.