Kochi: The vigilance and anti-corruption bureau (VACB) arrested an overseer of the Kochi corporation and an agent while accepting a bribe of Rs 25,000 on Thursday.
Overseer Seena P R, 45, of Kanjur in Kalady was taking the bribe to settle a complaint filed against a commercial building and exclude it from further proceedings. The team also arrested Shanavas P A, 44, of Pallikkunnu in Aluva, for allegedly demanding Rs 2 lakh in collusion with the overseer to settle the complaint. The building had been allotted a building number in 2009 and had been functioning since then. Shanavas initially demanded Rs 5 lakh for withdrawing the complaint. When the complainant said that he could not pay such a large amount, Shanavas eventually reduced the demand to Rs 2 lakh. In addition, Shanavas allegedly told the complainant that Rs 25,000 had to be paid as a bribe to Seena. She then asked the complainant to consult the building owner and pay the Rs 25,000 demanded by Shanavas as a bribe. At 5.10pm on Thursday, the team caught Seena near the Kaloor bus stand. Vigilance director Manoj Abraham requested the public to report any information regarding corruption to the vigilance toll-free number 1064, the number 8592900900, or the vigilance WhatsApp number 9447789100.
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However, after the inspection, Seena allegedly called a relative of the building owner and said that Shanavas should be “settled”. Seena allegedly told the complainant that once the building was assigned a UA number, the building owner would have to pay an amount exceeding three times the amount as tax and fine. The arrests were made as part of VACB’s Project Zero. The complainant had been working as the caretaker of a commercial building at Kathrikadavu. After the tenants vacated the premises, certain repair works were carried out before it was handed over to new tenants. During this period, Shanavas filed a complaint with the corporation in the name of an organisation called Land and Building Safety Council, alleging that adequate standards had not been followed in the construction of the building, among other charges. Following the complaint, the building owner met Seena and submitted the relevant documents for resolving the issue. The overseer also directly inspected the building. Following this, the complainant reached the corporation office and met Seena. She then gave the complainant Shanavas’s phone number and asked him to settle the complaint. The complainant subsequently called Shanavas over the phone. Shanavas also instructed the complainant to inform Seena about the settlement through a WhatsApp call and not through a normal phone call. The complainant then called Seen through WhatsApp and informed her that he had settled the matter with Shanavas and that Shanavas had agreed to withdraw the complaint. The complainant informed the deputy superintendent of police of the Ernakulam vigilance unit about the demand. Download the TOI App.
The accused will be produced before the vigilance court in Muvattupuzha. Seena allegedly told the complainant that the money could be handed over on the Kaloor Metro station premises on Thursday evening.