The Special Court for Trial of Cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act in Madurai sentenced former Rural Welfare Officer S. Poongothai to seven-year rigorous imprisonment for demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹1,500 to process an application under E.V.R Maniammaiyar Ninaivu Marriage Assistance Scheme for daughters of poor widows.
Special Court Judge R. Barathiraja also imposed a fine of ₹2,000 on Poongothai. The complainant, C. Kathammal from Kambur village near Melur, had submitted the application with Kottampatti panchayat union seeking the assistance of ₹25,000 and four grams of gold under the scheme for her daughter’s marriage.
However, to process the application, the then Rural Welfare Officer of the panchayat union Poongothai demanded a bribe of ₹1,500. Based on a complaint lodged by Ms. Kathammal, the sleuths of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption laid a trap and caught the officer while receiving the bribe amount in 2014.
