VILLUPURAM: A Village Administrative Officer (VAO) from Villupuram district was arrested on charges of accepting a bribe of Rs 3,000 for a patta name transfer, on Wednesday.
According to officials, the complainant, Narayanan, a resident of Cheyyur in Tiruvannamalai district, owns a 1,150 sq ft plot in Thenpasiar village near Tindivanam. When he approached the local VAO, Ponnaivanan, for the transfer of patta in his name, the official allegedly demanded Rs 3,000 as bribe.
Officials further stated that Narayanan lodged a complaint with the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), Villupuram, and acting on the complaint, DVAC officials laid a trap. As per that, on Tuesday, Narayanan contacted the VAO over phone, and Ponnaivanan asked him to meet near the venue of a government scheme camp. From there, he directed Narayanan to a nearby tea stall, where he allegedly accepted the bribe.
DVAC personnel, who were in hiding, immediately caught the VAO red-handed with the tainted cash. He was taken to the Tindivanam Tahsildar’s office for inquiry and remanded under judicial custody.