Sleuths of the Vellore unit of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) on Thursday arrested an Assistant Commissioner of the Vellore Corporation for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 29,000 from a contractor to clear his bills. Based on a complaint lodged by contractor Thangarajan that K Thyagrajan (49), who is in-charge of Zone III of the Vellore Corporation, was not clearing his bills amounting to Rs 4.60 lakh for the works completed by him for the local body, the DVAC registered a case and set up a trap to nab him red-handed.
On Thursday morning, after the contractor handed over the bribe amount to Thyagrajan at his house, an eight-member team led by DSP of the Vellore unit of DVAC, M Balasubramanian, entered the house and caught the official red-handed.
A phenolphthalein test on the spot in the presence of two official witnesses proved that Thyagarajan had handled the cash, the DSP said.
The police also seized Rs 37,000 from Thyagarajan’s house. He was produced before a Vellore court, which remanded him to judicial custody till July 5. Thyagarajan was remanded to the Vellore Central Prison for Men.