THOOTHUKUDI: The Thoothukudi wing of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption registered an FIR against former joint commissioner (in-charge) of the Tiruchendur Murugan temple for demanding bribes from the headmaster of a Tiruchendur Archakar Payirchi Palli (priest training school) for rectifying pay fixation.
Sources said C Kumaradurai, during his tenure between October 27, 2021 and May 10, 2022 as joint commissioner (in-charge) of Arulmigu Subramaniya Swamy Thirukovil, also known as Tiruchendur Murugan temple, was also administrator of the Tiruchendur Archakar Payirchi Palli. Kumaradurai is currently the joint commissioner of HR&CE in Kancheepuram.
The complainant M Balamurugan, who was the HM of the training school, had approached Kumaradurai to rectify anomalies in his salary as per the fixation of 7th pay commission, which make him eligible for arrears to the tune of Rs 10 lakh.
Kumaradurai demanded Rs 3 lakh as quid pro quo to give favourable reports to the commissioner. Balamurugan was 75% blind, but he had completely lost eye-sight in the last four years, sources said.
Sources added Balamurugan met Kumaradurai at his office on December 17, 2021 and gave Rs 50,000 as advance. During the meeting, the headmaster recorded the conversation on his phone to present as evidence.
In the recording, the joint commissioner asked if he was giving the advance against the promised amount. Kumaradurai added the room is under CCTV camera surveillance, and asked him to handover the money to Duffedar Sivananandham at the adjacent room, where there were no cameras, said an official source.