CHENNAI: Three people, including Ponneri sub-registrar Sankar, were arrested by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) on Wednesday on charges of demanding and accepting `15,000 as bribe to release a registered property document.
According to DVAC officials, the complainant, Natarajan, had registered two properties at the Ponneri Sub-Registrar office. After being asked to pay the bribe, he approached the DVAC’s Tiruvallur unit, which registered a case and laid a trap.
During the operation, a private document writer Ramesh allegedly collected the money from Natarajan on the instructions of Sankar. Ramesh, Sankar and another private document writer, Nithya, who was also complicit in the crime, were arrested and remanded in judicial custody.
In another case, DVAC on Tuesday seized `14.57 lakh in cash during a surprise check at the Gerugambakkam Panchayat office near Porur, amid suspicion that the money was linked to a bribe for granting layout approval.
A the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption team conducted the check at around 7 pm after receiving information about an alleged bribe demand. The team found the panchayat president in the office along with three people associated with a prominent builder when the search was carried out.
Officials found the cash inside the president’s office, which could not be accounted for, and seized it for further inquiry.
The panchayat president was questioned and DVAC officials are investigating whether the cash was intended for facilitating plot approvals for the builders. Further action will follow based on the investigation.