Kochi Corporation overseer, middleman caught red-handed in bribery trap
A corporation overseer and a middleman were arrested for allegedly accepting £25,000 to settle a building violation complaint as part of an anti-graft drive.
A corporation overseer and a middleman were arrested for allegedly accepting £25,000 to settle a building violation complaint as part of an anti-graft drive.
A corporation overseer and a middleman were arrested for allegedly accepting £25,000 to settle a building violation complaint as part of an anti-graft drive.
Kochi: A Kochi Corporation overseer and a middleman were arrested by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) on Thursday while allegedly accepting ₹25,000 to settle a complaint over building violations.
The arrests were made as part of VACB’s anti-graft drive, ‘Project Zero’. The accused are Seena P R (45), a corporation overseer from Kanjoor in Kalady, and Shanavas P A (44), a native of Pallikkunnu, Aluva.
The case relates to a commercial building at Kathrikadavu near Kaloor, which was assigned a building number in 2009. After former tenants vacated the premises, the owner began maintenance work before leasing it to new occupants. During this period, Shanavas submitted a complaint to the corporation under an outfit called the ‘Land and Building Safety Council’, alleging violations of construction norms.
According to the VACB, Seena inspected the building after the owner submitted the required documents but later contacted the owner’s relative and said Shanavas had to be “settled”. When the building's caretaker, who later became the complainant, met Seena at the corporation office, she provided Shanavas’s contact details.
Shanavas initially demanded ₹5 lakh to withdraw the complaint and later reduced the demand to ₹2 lakh. He also sought ₹25,000 for Seena and instructed the caretaker to confirm the arrangement with the overseer through a WhatsApp call rather than a regular phone call.
During the WhatsApp conversation, Seena allegedly warned that failure to settle the matter would result in the building being assigned an unauthorised ‘UA’ number, leading to more than three times the existing tax and penalties. She allegedly directed the caretaker to hand over ₹25,000 near Kaloor Metro Station on Thursday.
The complainant subsequently approached the Ernakulam Vigilance Unit. A trap was laid and Seena was arrested at 5.10 pm near the Kaloor bus stand while allegedly accepting the marked currency. Shanavas was arrested soon after.
The accused will be produced before the Muvattupuzha Vigilance Court.
VACB Director Manoj Abraham IPS urged the public to report corruption through toll-free number 1064, phone 8592900900 or WhatsApp number 9447789100.