CUDDALORE: The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) officials on Tuesday arrested a Village Administrative Officer (VAO) and a village assistant near Chidambaram for taking a bribe of Rs 6,000 to transfer a patta.
According to police, E Thervijayan (50), a resident of Melatheru in Vakkur village, Chidambaram taluk, had applied to transfer the patta of a land in Tharasur village. The land was donated to him and his brother, E Arulprakash, by their brother, E Velmurugan.
For processing the patta transfer, Vakkur VAO G Sathishkumar allegedly demanded Rs 6,000 from Thervijayan on Thursday. The village assistant, Ramesh, also instructed him to pay the amount as directed by the VAO.
Unwilling to pay the bribe, Thervijayan lodged a complaint with the Cuddalore DVAC on Tuesday. Following the complaint, a case was registered against Sathishkumar and Ramesh.
On the same day, Sathishkumar received the money from Thervijayan through Ramesh. A DVAC team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police K Sathyaraj, which had been monitoring the transaction, caught the duo red-handed and arrested them.