CHENNAI: P Saroja, the tahsildar, who was arrested by DVAC on May 14 in connection with a graft case, has claimed in her bail petition moved before a city court that she had no connection with police constable M Arunkumar who had collected Rs 3 lakh bribe allegedly on her behalf. A case was booked by DVAC against Saroja for allegedly demanding bribe from an activist to remove encroachments in Injambakkam.
According to DVAC’s case, Saroja knew Arunkumar through her husband Prem, who is also a policeman. Saroja had asked Arunkumar to collect money from activist Pon Thangavel and the agency caught the latter red-handed at the Greater Chennai Corporation’s Adyar office.
Saroja, in her bail petition, said she had no personal or professional relationship with Arunkumar. However, Arunkumar, in his bail plea, said that it was Saroja who had asked him to collect a bag and hand it over to her husband Prem. Arunkumar also said he had no knowledge of the bribe and that he had come to the GCC office only to get some clarifications from Saroja on patta.
Dismissing both petitions, judge at the special court for cases under Prevention of Corruption Act G Jayavel said the suspects could not be released on bail as they might tamper with the evidence collected so far.