COIMBATORE: A village administrative officer (VAO), fleeing a team of officials from the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) with the alleged bribe amount, jumped into the Perur Periyakulam lake after his bike veered off the road here on Friday night. Though the officials managed to catch the VAO, they were unable to retrieve the money, amounting to Rs 3,500, that was thrown into the lake.
The suspect has been identified as M Vetrivel, VAO of Madvarayapuram village near Alandurai. Vetrivel had allegedly collected the money from a cancer patient, Marathaal, who had approached him recently for a legal heir certificate after her husband’s death.
Sources said as per when Vetrivel’s demanded Rs 5,000 to arrange the certificate, Maarathaal initially paid him Rs 1,000. When he asked for the remaining amount, she informed her son-in-law Krishnasamy about the whole episode.
As per the tip-off from Krishnasamy, the DVAC set up a trap, and handed over Rs 3,500 laced with chemicals him. When Krishnasamy handed over the money to the VAO in front of City Union Bank near Perur Tahsildar office at 8pm on Friday as per the plan, DVAC team led by ADSP Divya, who were hiding nearby, surrounded Vetrivel, sitting on his two-wheeler and caught him red-handed.
Realising that he was trapped, the VAO suddenly escaped in his two-wheeler after pushing a few DVAC officials down to the ground.
An official said when they were chasing, Vetrivel jumped into the lake after the bike veered off the road. “We have registered a case against him under two section of 7A of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 and destroying the evidence. There were also several complaints related to the corruption against Vetrivel, who joined as Perur VAO in July last year,” he said, adding the department was unable to trace the money till Saturday morning, despite engaging dozens of workers to clear the silt.
Vetrivel, a native of Theni district, has been lodged in Coimbatore Central Prison.