Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) sleuths on Monday arrested E Shajahan, the kingpin of the alleged financial irregularities at the Kerala State Transport Corporation (KSRTC) depot in Sulthan Bathery in 2012.
According to the office of the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, Wayanad unit, Shajahan, who was a senior clerk of the depot here, was nabbed by the officials from Meenangadi around 11 am.
He will be produced before the Vigilance court in Kozhikode on Tuesday, said the officials.
The financial fraud to the tune of `42 lakh came to light following an investigation by the KSRTC main office in Thiruvananthapuram in July 2012.
The officials found out that the accused swindled collection money by manipulating Electronic Ticketing Machines in long-distance services from the depot.
Apart from Shajahan, a native of Kollam district, the department had also suspended four conductors from service and had terminated the services of five empanelled conductors.
The suspended conductors were Shanavas, Ali, Shaijumon and Abdul Rahman, while those terminated from the service were Sunil, Rasheed, Sulaiman, Jiji Thomas and Abhilash Thomas.
Initial investigation by the police revealed that the accused had also entered lower amounts of collection by tampering with the fare chart in the master computer.
Realising the magnitude of corruption, the police handed over the case to the state Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau in August last year.