The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) has arrested Ithalar panchayat secretary A Karthick in the Nilgiris for allegedly accepting Rs 20,000 from a contractor who had completed a water tank construction project in Osatty village.
According to the DVAC, contractor Raja of Emerald had submitted a bill for Rs 6.90 lakh for the completed work. Karthick allegedly demanded a bribe equivalent to 5% of the bill, amounting to about Rs 35,000, before later reducing the demand to Rs 20,000.
Raja, unwilling to pay, approached the Nilgiris DVAC unit and lodged a complaint. Officials subsequently registered a case and organised a trap at the panchayat secretary’s office.
As part of the operation, DVAC officials provided Raja with currency notes treated with a chemical. Raja then met Karthick at the office and handed over the money, following which the officials, who were positioned nearby, allegedly caught the panchayat secretary red-handed.
The case concerns the processing of a payment claim linked to water tank construction, placing the alleged demand within the administrative chain through which local public works are certified and bills are processed. Panchayats are responsible for implementing and maintaining several basic civic works in rural settlements, including water-related infrastructure.
The arrest follows a complaint from the contractor and the trap operation conducted by the anti-corruption agency. The allegations relate to the demand and acceptance of an illegal payment; the case will proceed through the legal process.
Karthick, 35, was arrested and remanded in judicial custody, according to the report. The supplied account does not provide further details on the status of the water tank, the pending bill or the next stage of the investigation.
