DVAC raids panchayat union office

Salem: The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) sleuths conducted a surprise raid at the panchayat union office in Kolathur near Mettur here on Friday evening and seized more than Rs 5 lakh as officials failed to produce proper documents for the source of money.

DVAC ADSP Chandramouli said he had got a tip that Kolathur panchayat union officials were taking bribe from contractors.

“To confirm this, we conducted a surprise raid. When we entered, the office was filled with contractors, who were carrying out various civil works.”

On seeing the DVAC sleuths, the contractors and brokers made an attempt to flee. However, the DVAC sleuths locked the main door of the office and picked up the contractors and officials for inquiry.

The DVAC officials seized a total of Rs 5.06 lakh unaccounted money from union commissioner Ramanathan, block development officer Chennakrishnan, engineers Saravanan and Ramakrishnan and other office staff.

“We have registered a case against all the officials and further inquiry is on,” Chandramouli said. He said they would arrest the officials if they failed to produce valid receipts for the money.

In another development, DVAC sleuths in Dharmapuri district caught two Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) employees red-handed taking bribe on Friday. The arrested were identified as Ravi, 54, assistant engineer, TNEB Pennagaram office, and office clerk Tamil Selvan, 45. They took a bribe of Rs 1,500 from S Nagaraj, 50, of Yechanahalli village.

“Nagaraj approached the duo to change the electricity connection from his mother’s name to his name. They demanded Rs 1,500 from Nagaraj to get the work done,” said a DVAC official. Nagaraj filed a complaint with DVAC sleuths, who gave him chemical coated currencies to trap the officials. The arrested were lodged in the Salem Central Prison under judicial custody.