Collector P Madhusudan Reddy has suspended a Village Administrative Officer (VAO) on charges of bribery.
Following a video, which went viral in the social media over the last two days, the Collector ordered a probe.
According to the revenue officials, an applicant Pandi (50) of Shanmuganathapuram, near Aravayal in Devakottai had applied for a few documents including ‘chitta adangal’ for his property for which the VAO Gopi Kannan had allegedly demanded ₹500 as bribe.
Giving the bribe, the applicant had recorded the images and posted them on social media.
The applicant had told the officials that the VAO was in the habit of demanding bribes. He further claimed that when he had asked for issuance of a patta for a ‘natham poromboke’ land in his favour and a case in this regard was pending in the court, the VAO had allegedly recommended issuance of patta in another person's name to the RDO after taking a hefty bribe.
Hence, to expose that he was corrupt, Pandi claimed to have taken the video and posted it on social media, officers said.
