Village Administrative Officer Arrested in Ramanathapuram Bribery Sting
In a significant anti-corruption operation, officials from the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) apprehended a village administrative officer (VAO) on Sunday in Ramanathapuram district. The arrest was made on charges of soliciting and accepting a bribe amounting to Rs 5,000 to facilitate the processing of a patta name transfer application.
Details of the Corruption Case
The accused has been identified as Anuraj, a 36-year-old VAO serving in Pudumadam village, which falls under the Ramanathapuram taluk. According to the DVAC, the incident unfolded when a local resident submitted an application for transferring a patta name through the official online portal. After experiencing prolonged delays in the processing of his request, the applicant personally approached Anuraj to inquire about the status.
It was during this interaction that the VAO allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 5,000 to expedite and complete the name transfer procedure. Unwilling to comply with this illicit demand, the applicant chose to report the matter to the district DVAC office, filing a formal complaint against the officer.
DVAC's Trap and Arrest
Acting swiftly on the complaint, DVAC sleuths devised a strategic trap to catch the officer red-handed. They arranged for the applicant to meet Anuraj while carrying chemically treated currency notes. The operation culminated in the arrest of the VAO at the moment he accepted the marked money from the complainant.
Following his apprehension, Anuraj was formally charged under the stringent provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. He has since been remanded to judicial custody as the investigation into the case continues. This arrest underscores the ongoing efforts by anti-corruption agencies to curb malpractices and uphold integrity in public service, particularly at the grassroots level where such incidents can directly impact citizens.
