KOCHI: Officers of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) were in for a surprise when they raided an Aluva flat belonging to an official with the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB). They found currency notes worth Rs 16.89 lakh stashed away in different places, including inside a pressure cooker and other utensils.
The vigilance sleuths raided the apartment of environmental engineer Harees A M, 50 — working with the Kottayam unit of the Pollution Control Board — on Wednesday night after he was caught red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 25,000 from the owner of a rubber retreading firm in Kottayam.
Vigilance Kottayam unit Superintendent of Police V G Vinod Kumar said the team also recovered many documents and bank deposit details revealing that the accused has amassed wealth.
“A separate case will be registered to probe the wealth amassment case. It will be investigated by the Ernakulam vigilance special cell,” the officer said.
Vigilance DySP Vidhyadharan K A said the money was kept hidden at different spots in the flat.
Six months ago, Harees was transferred to the KSPCB Kottayam office from Ernakulam after receiving a promotion.
Vigilance officers said Harees was a bachelor and his passport details revealed that he had travelled across the world.
“We are verifying the documents as we also suspect he is involved in many real estate transactions. A preliminary probe has found that he owned properties at various places in the state, including in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi,” an officer said.
Currency counting machines need to be brought in to quantify the amount recovered, he added.
Harees’ corrupt practices came before the VACB after the rubber retreading firm owner complained that the KSPCB engineer was demanding bribe to renew the firm’s license. Based on the complainant’s inputs, the vigilance laid a trap and caught him red-handed.