THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has suspended Alex Mathew, deputy general manager at its Kochi office, after he was caught accepting a Rs 2 lakh bribe in a Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) sting operation in Poojappura on Saturday.
“In response to several media reports regarding alleged corruption by an official of the Corporation, Indian Oil has taken action to place the officer under suspension and strict disciplinary action will be initiated as per the Rules,” the IOC said in a statement.
Earlier in the day, Alex was admitted to Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital after ECG variations were detected. He has since been remanded in judicial custody. Meanwhile, additional complaints have emerged against him, prompting the VACB to expand its investigation.
A raid at his residence on Saturday led to the seizure of investment documents worth Rs 29 lakh and imported alcohol, now under scrutiny. There are allegations that he had received bribes since his tenure as an assistant manager at IOC. As a DGM overseeing multiple districts, he allegedly extorted bribes from gas agency owners through intimidation.
Vigilance officials have received information that he took a Rs 1 lakh bribe from Idukki, which is now under investigation.
A 2018 IOC circular allowed officials to allocate customers among gas agencies. Initially, each area had a single distributor, but as the customer base grew, IOC gained the authority to reassign them. This policy has reportedly been exploited for corruption.