COIMBATORE: A special court handling cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act has sentenced a Tangedco official to one year imprisonment for demanding Rs 900 to provide a new electricity connection. The accused, K M Senthilkumar, worked as a commercial inspector with Tangedco at Velandipalayam.
In August 2006, Augustian Paulraj approached the officer to process an application seeking electricity connection. However, the officer demanded bribe. Based on Paulraj’s complaint DVAC officials arrested him on August 31, 2006. Gopinath, a former mazdoor trainee with Tangedco, who allegedly helped Senthilkumar was also booked.
On Friday, the special court sentenced Senthilkumar to one-year imprisonment amd was also imposed fine of Rs 5,000. Gopinath died in March 2023 and the charge against him was abated, according to sources.
In another judgement, a retired female officer who worked as a bill collector with the city municipal corporation in 2014, was sentenced to one-year imprisonment.
According to DVAC report, the accused, S Vasanthakumar (64), was caught red-handed on June 3, 2014, while accepting a bribe of Rs 7,000 for a name transfer in property tax. The court on Friday sentenced her to one-year imprisonment.