The Vigilance and Anti Corruption Bureau (VACB) officials, on Wednesday, arrested P.T. Padmarajan, secretary of Perambra grama panchayat, on charges of accepting bribe from a man for getting licence to run a small scale industrial venture.
The accused was detained by a VACB team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police K. Ashraf. He was later produced before the Vigilance Court in Kozhikode.
As per a complaint by a Perambra resident, Abdul Salam, the accused had demanded Rs.10,000 from him for clearing the licence formalities for opening a chapathi-making unit. The amount was finally fixed at Rs. 5,000 and he was asked to remit it on Wednesday. Mr. Salam who approached the VACB was given marked notes and this was given to the accused.
The VACB arrested the accused and the marked notes were recovered from him. According to the VACB team, the secretary was charged under sections 7 (public servant taking gratification other than remuneration in respect of an official act) and 13 (criminal misconduct by a public servant) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Soon after the arrest, the activists of various political parties rushed to the spot and shouted slogans against the accused.
They also praised the VACB.
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The Vellayil police have launched a probe in which a Non-Resident Keralite, K. Kunhabdulla from Cheruvannur, lost 17 sovereigns of gold and Rs. 60,000 kept in his car which was parked near P.T. Usha road in the city. The police team inspected the car in detail. The windows or side glasses were not found broken, the police said.
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In the continuing raid against drug peddlers, the police on Wednesday, nabbed Abdul Latheef (40) with one kg of ganja from Mankavu. He was arrested by a team led by Kasaba Sub Inspector K. Bhaskaran. Civil police officers K.K. Suresh, Ajayakumar, C.K. Sujith, Prasanth Kumar and Bindu Shaji were also part of the team. The police said the man, hailing from Manjeri, used to bring the product from Theni and Cumbum in Tamil Nadu and supplied it to various clients in Kozhikode.
