The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) arrested a village field assistant while accepting a bribe of ₹2,500 during an adalat at Mannarkkad on Tuesday. VACB officers who raided his house unearthed ₹33 lakh in a shelf and a bank deposit of ₹45 lakh.
Palakkayam village field assistant V. Suresh Kumar was held while accepting ₹2,500 from a Manjeri resident for issuing a location certificate on his 45 cents of land. Mr. Kumar had asked the Manjeri resident to come to the taluk-level adalat held at MES Kalladi College, Mannarkkad.
The VACB officers raided his house soon after arresting him. The VACB had received several complaints against Mr. Kumar.
The latest complainant approached VACB DySP Shamsuddin and helped the officers capture him red-handed. Mr. Kumar was caught while accepting the cash in his car.
Sources said that Mr. Kumar had accepted bribe a couple of times earlier in connection with the same 45 cents of land. He had reportedly taken ₹10,000 for certifying that the land did not belong to LA pattayam. He had also taken ₹9,000 for a possession certificate about five months ago.
VACB team led by Mr. Shamsuddin comprised Inspectors Philip and Farook, sub-inspectors Surendran and Manoj, and civil police officers Manoj, Satheesh, Sanesh, Santhosh, Balakrishnan, and Uvais.
Police sources said that they were examining the sources of the money recovered from his house.
