UDHAGAMANDALAM: The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) has arrested a panchayat secretary in the Nilgiris district on charges of accepting a bribe of Rs 20,000 from a contractor for processing a bill for water tank construction work.
Ithalar panchayat secretary A Karthick, 35, demanded a bribe from contractor Raja of Emerald, who had completed construction of a water tank in Osatty village. Raja had submitted a bill for Rs 6.90 lakh, according to DVAC. Karthick demanded 5% of the bill amount — around Rs 35,000 — as a bribe. He later reduced the demand to Rs 20,000.
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Unwilling to pay the bribe, Raja approached the Nilgiris DVAC unit and lodged a complaint. Officials registered a case and organised a trap on Monday.