A vigilance court in Thiruvananthapuram has sentenced former legal metrology deputy controller Ajith Kumar B S to three years of rigorous imprisonment and fined him Rs 1 lakh for accepting an Rs 8,000 bribe from a fuel station owner in 2022.
The court found Kumar, 58, of Poovachal, guilty of demanding Rs 16,000 to complete the mandatory annual stamping of measuring instruments at a fuel station in Akkulam and issue the required certificate. He was serving as deputy controller at the Legal Metrology Department’s Pattom office when the offence occurred.
According to the vigilance department, the complainant, a resident of Muttathara, had approached the department to have the measuring instruments at his fuel station stamped. Annual stamping is a required compliance process for fuel stations, where the accuracy of dispensing equipment is directly linked to the quantity of fuel supplied to consumers.
The department said Kumar demanded Rs 16,000 to process the application and issue the certificate. After receiving the complaint, officials from the Thiruvananthapuram vigilance unit arranged a trap. Kumar was caught while accepting Rs 8,000, described as the first instalment of the demanded bribe amount.
The vigilance department subsequently registered a case against him. The prosecution presented the bribery allegation and trap proceedings before the court, which convicted Kumar in the matter. The case relates to an administrative approval that fuel stations must obtain as part of the legal metrology system governing measurement and calibration.
The incident highlights how routine regulatory clearances can become points of contact between businesses and government departments. For fuel-station operators, the stamping and certification of measuring instruments is not optional, making the process necessary for continued compliance with operating requirements. Any demand for an unofficial payment can therefore delay certification and increase the cost of meeting a statutory obligation.
The case was investigated by vigilance deputy superintendent of police R Vinod Kumar. Public prosecutor Veena Satheesan appeared for the vigilance department during the proceedings. The report did not specify whether Kumar’s sentence had been stayed or whether any further legal proceedings were planned.
