Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption arrested Yamuna Devi, 59, a Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation bill collector on Tuesday for accepting Rs 40,000 bribe from Prakash of Sundarapuram. She demanded the money to issue approvals for vacant land tax assessment needed for a mini theatre construction project.
Coimbatore: The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) arrested a female bill collector of the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation on Tuesday on charges of accepting a bribe of Rs 40,000 from a complainant seeking approvals related to vacant land tax assessment for a construction project.
The arrested official has been identified as Yamuna Devi, 59, who was caught red-handed accepting chemical-coated currency notes in a trap operation conducted by DVAC sleuths in the Sundarapuram area.
According to DVAC officers, Prakash of Sundarapuram had recently submitted an application seeking permission to construct a mini theatre on a parcel of rented land. On August 6, he approached Yamuna Devi regarding the vacant land tax assessment required for obtaining the construction approval.
During their interaction, the bill collector allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 45,000 to expedite the clearance of his file. When Prakash met her again on Friday to negotiate, she reduced her demand to Rs 40,000 for processing the approval.
Unwilling to pay the illegal gratification, Prakash alerted the DVAC officials on Monday. The anti-corruption wing promptly registered a First Information Report (FIR) and devised a trap operation to catch the corrupt official.
Following the instructions of DVAC personnel, Prakash arranged to meet Yamuna Devi in the Sundarapuram area on Tuesday. He carried chemical-coated currency notes totaling Rs 40,000 provided by the investigating team.
When Yamuna Devi accepted the bribe money from Prakash, the waiting DVAC team immediately apprehended her. The chemical coating on the currency notes served as crucial evidence of the transaction.
The bill collector was taken into custody and is expected to face prosecution under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Further investigation into the matter is underway to determine if there are other instances of corruption involving the accused official.
This arrest highlights the ongoing efforts by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption to curb corruption in government departments and ensure transparent functioning of public services in Coimbatore and across Tamil Nadu.
The arrested official has been identified as Yamuna Devi, 59, who was caught red-handed accepting chemical-coated currency notes in a trap operation conducted by DVAC sleuths in the Sundarapuram area.
According to DVAC officers, Prakash of Sundarapuram had recently submitted an application seeking permission to construct a mini theatre on a parcel of rented land. On August 6, he approached Yamuna Devi regarding the vacant land tax assessment required for obtaining the construction approval.
During their interaction, the bill collector allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 45,000 to expedite the clearance of his file. When Prakash met her again on Friday to negotiate, she reduced her demand to Rs 40,000 for processing the approval.
Unwilling to pay the illegal gratification, Prakash alerted the DVAC officials on Monday. The anti-corruption wing promptly registered a First Information Report (FIR) and devised a trap operation to catch the corrupt official.
Following the instructions of DVAC personnel, Prakash arranged to meet Yamuna Devi in the Sundarapuram area on Tuesday. He carried chemical-coated currency notes totaling Rs 40,000 provided by the investigating team.
When Yamuna Devi accepted the bribe money from Prakash, the waiting DVAC team immediately apprehended her. The chemical coating on the currency notes served as crucial evidence of the transaction.
The bill collector was taken into custody and is expected to face prosecution under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Further investigation into the matter is underway to determine if there are other instances of corruption involving the accused official.
This arrest highlights the ongoing efforts by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption to curb corruption in government departments and ensure transparent functioning of public services in Coimbatore and across Tamil Nadu.