An assistant engineer of the Public Works Department (Irrigation) at Gobichettipalayam and mazdoor grade I were sentenced to undergo three years imprisonment each for demanding and accepting bribe for issuing a no objection certificate for shifting electricity service connection in 2005.
V.P. Karthikeyan of Gobichettipalayam wanted to transfer the service connection from a borewell to an open well in his father’s name and approached the PWD office.
But, V. Venkatesan, the then Assistant Engineer demanded ₹15,000 for issuing the no objection certificate. Unwilling to pay the money, Mr. Karthikeyan alerted the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) sleuths, who laid a trap.
On April 13, 2005, the complainant gave the money to Venkatesan at his office who in turn asked C. Ramesh Kumar, mazdoor, to keep the money. DVAC sleuths caught the two red-handed. A case was registered and both were arrested.
Chief Judicial Magistrate C.M. Saravanan found them guilty and sentenced them to undergo three years rigorous imprisonment each with a fine of ₹5,000 for demanding money and another three years for receiving bribe. The magistrate ordered sentences to run concurrently.
